2016 July

NSVI returned to Haiti for another 4-day mission July 6-9. During the mission, vasectomies were performed on 80 men who had had a total of 426 children. For lack of time on our last day, we were unable to serve all of the clients, and additional men were inspired by the mission. So the Domestic Team performed an additional 17 vasectomies on the Monday after our departure, for a total of 97 men who had collectively had 551 children.

The International Vasectomy Doctors included:
201607MissionTeamOur guest vasectomists traveled far, making the journeys for Floridians look easy. We met in Miami for the flight to Haiti.
201607TeamMAPOur Haitian doctors, some in various stages of training, were:
201607HaitiDoctorsAnd our Haitian Support Staff were:
HaitiSupportStaffDrJasminWe performed vasectomies at two of our usual time-tested and established locations: Hopital Ft. St. Michel in Cap Haitien and the ULS Clinic in Ft. Bourgeois. The road to Plaisance is in disrepair and challenging, so we took a break from Plaisance in July. Instead, we tried the Dugué Clinic at Moustiques, National 1, Plaine-du-Nord just west of  Vaudreuil and Clinique Esperance Et Vie in Terrier Rouge.
NorthHaiti7The vasectomy schedule for this mission was as follows:
Wednesday July 6
1. Arrive at CAP at 12:22 PM on American Airlines Flt 2732 from MIA.
2. 3 PM – 6 PM Changed money at Hopital Ft. St. Michel (FSM), and hung banners at FSM and the Dugue Clinic.
Thursday July 7 Vasectomies at the Dugué Clinic in Plaine-du-Nord (on National 1), 8:00 AM to noon, then at ULS Clinic in Ft. Bourgeois in the afternoon.
Friday July 8  Visited Dr. St.Vil’s clinic in Terrier Rouge 9 AM – 11 AM; explained vasectomy to a large audience waiting for other service. Vasectomies at FSM 1- 6 PM.
Saturday July 9
1. Vasectomies at FSM 8:00 AM – 11:30 AM.
2. Departed CAP at 1:30 PM on American Airlines Flight 2732 to MIA.

Now some Photos:

Day 1: Wednesday, July 6, 2016
We met in Miami:2016-07-06-10-42-50Arrival in Cap Haitian:
2016-07-06-11-40-27Hanging banners at Hopital Ft. St. Michel near the entry …
2016-07-06-13-35-49… and inside near the clinic waiting areas.
2016-07-06-16-49-45More banners at the Cap Haitien Health Network office along Cap’s main road …
2016-07-06-14-23-27… and at the Dugue Clinic along National Route 1:
2016-07-06-18-10-17Maude Dugue had already ordered her own banners from our artwork and posted them in her clinic’s waiting area:
2016-07-06-18-11-26All pleased that we had enough tape and that the rickety ladder had not crumbled out from under brave Jack:
2016-07-06-18-18-04Day 2: Thursday, July 7, 2016
Morning:

A hearty breakfast at the Hotel Roi Christophe. The whole Team invited:
2016-07-07-07-45-55Back at the Dugue Clinic reviewing proper protocol and sterile technique:
2016-07-07-07-13-11Wonderful procedure room large enough for 3 tables …
2016-07-07-07-34-27Maude had framed and hung some of the photos taken during some of the earliest NSVI missions to Haiti before the untimely death of her wonderful husband and excellent surgeon Guy Dugue …
2016-07-07-07-32-31It was Cherlie’s first time as OR nurse, so sterilization of instruments and set-up of instrument trays was all new to her …
2016-07-07-07-41-25Covsky oversaw the process of comprehensive counseling, informed consent, and proper record keeping …
2016-07-07-07-45-45Only 8 patients so plenty of time for training. Here a few health workers from the local university get to feel the vas …
2016-07-07-08-00-25Maude Dugue is the ultimate clinic director and mission hostess …
2016-07-07-08-05-49A happy patient with Drs. Gerve and Abano:
2016-07-07-08-09-27Trainee Dr. Gessica Dugue would like to learn and offer vasectomy to local families at the Dugue Clinic, just as her late dad did:
2016-07-07-08-57-48With only 8 patients, Covsky has time to explain vasectomy and distribute educational brochures to new mothers:
2016-07-07-11-00-03Afternoon – on to Ft. Bourgeois:
2016-07-07-11-19-06ULS Clinic Director Dr. Mesadieu had a sick patient who required an IV, so we had only one cramped and poorly ventilated room. Clutter was evacuated and heavy tables were re-positioned to provide two procedure stations and a back table for set-up:
2016-07-07-11-23-02Twenty-one patients had arrived and there was less time for training. Waiting patients are very aware of how long their companions are “back there” and easily scared away if prior patients have pain or take too long.

But observation of many cases is also valuable for trainee Drs. Gesica Dugue and Willy Alfred:
2016-07-07-14-23-42Very relived to return to the hotel for showers and a nice dinner:
2016-07-07-19-57-56Day 3: Friday, July 8, 2016

Morning: Clinique Esperance et Vie in Terrier Rouge:
2016-07-08-10-50-18Dr. Classaint St-Vil has a wonderful facility in Terrier Rouge with a fully equipped operating room where volunteer surgeons from other countries perform all sorts of surgery …
2016-07-08-10-45-17But what WE really liked was the large and well-ventilated room above the OR. This could easily accommodate multiple procedure tables and a single set-up table to serve all of them:2016-07-08-09-44-43Unfortunately, we had no patients because vasectomy has never been introduced to the area and no man wants to be “the first in the neighborhood”. But there were many patients waiting for dental and medical services, so we entertained them with a nice educational program about vasectomy:
2016-07-08-08-02-51Many had never heard of vasectomy, but we left them with a great idea to think about before our next visit in late October:
2016-07-08-08-24-36Afternoon: On to Hopital Ft. St. Michel, always our busiest and (when the A/C is working) most comfortable venue. The road back from Terrier Rouge is flat and fast, except for the occasional pedestrian:
2016-07-08-11-07-36Hopital Ft. St. Michel is always a welcome site as we pull in from the main road:
2016-07-08-11-42-33By our 4th clinic, everyone is in a groove and knows just what to do:
2016-07-08-12-28-44If you need another table, sometimes you just have to find it, clean it, and get it yourself:
2016-07-08-09-57-02But the Haitian patients and staff seem to thrive on the energy of the guest missioners, and pretty soon we are working like beavers. With 3 tables, we can achieve both training and speed, and it’s still Friday so we can work into the evening if necessary:
2016-07-08-12-28-35cCovsky pops in to inform us of number waiting to get more antibiotics or cash:
2016-07-08-12-32-40And waiting patients are entertained by condom application instructions on the biggest model in town:
2016-07-08-15-29-49Some patients walk out with their hydrocele fluid now in a bottle:
2016-07-08-14-10-34Always eager to “spread the good word” and always flattered by an invitation, NSVI was the guest of the Universite Rio Henri Christophe on Friday evening.
2016-07-08-17-18-52Dr. Edouard Noisin reserved a room and offered dinner in exchange for presentations about vasectomy to his students of various health sciences:
2016-07-08-17-17-23The crowd was small enough for a lively exchange:
2016-07-08-17-33-53And Dr. Noisin dove right into the ethics of income replacement for vasectomy:
2016-07-08-19-17-05What better way to conclude a complex exchange than with a group photo?2016-07-08-19-18-21Day 4: Saturday, July 9, 2016: Our last day

Need to convert all written records to electronic ones:
2016-07-09-05-55-13Our last days always seems to be our busiest:
2016-07-09-10-31-23sIn fact, a number of men were left waiting when we announced that is was time to pack up and catch our flight. But our support staff were very happy to get paid and to offer their help on Monday when the Domestic Team will finish with the men inspired by the mission. NSVI is very proud to not only provide dependable permanent contraception so that men can better nurture fewer children, but also to provide additional livelihood in a country in such need of jobs and extra cash.

NSVI will return to Haiti October 25-28 to continue our thrice-yearly missions. Four experienced vasectomists have committed to coming and we will operate as two teams providing vasectomy services at two sites in Northern Haiti simultaneously. We will regroup each evening at our hotel to share each day’s experiences and ideas to make delivery of vasectomy more efficient, user-friendly, and acceptable to the community. And we will continue hands-on training for interested Haitian doctors as well as education of local health workers to promote vasectomy and to keep Domestic Teams busy enough to handle the growing demand, while we engage other communities to spread the benefits of vasectomy nationwide.