Haiti (MNN) ― CURE International's Scott Nelson says because of the instability in Haiti, it's not a good time to build a permanent pediatric orthopedic facility there.
Yet, even without it, Cap-Haitian, Haiti feels CURE's impact.
Every three months, Nelson takes a team from their Dominican Republic's Center to work. "We have also been helping the hospital with supplies, improving their physical infrastructure at the operating facility. I think in the near future, we plan to continue in this fashion with our regular visits there we're able to have patients come back to us and have some follow-up."
CURE's Center for Orthopedic Specialties performs surgeries and trains national medical professionals at the Hospital Universitaire Justinien, a government hospital. The mobile clinics to Haiti see about 100 patients per year and focus on pediatric orthopedics.
The main problem is that there are only 42 orthopedic surgeons in Haiti and one reputable pediatric surgeon. According to CURE, most are poorly equipped and lack resources and education. There is no pediatric orthopedic or clubfoot surgery being performed in the entire northern part of the country.
Nelson's regular visits to Haiti include training of the students and residents studying at the Hospital University. There's been some progress made in training one of the local cast technicians on the Ponseti method for treatment of clubfoot.
Still, Nelson says there's more to their ministry than orthopedics. "CURE's medical ministry is combined 50/50 with a spiritual ministry as well and so this time, when we go over there and work in the public hospital, we take a minister from our hospital and combine his work with a local Christian Haitian minister."
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