From March 13-16, NSVI was to conduct its 19th vasectomy mission in Haiti. Our volunteers were Drs. Johnston and Shelly, who had (1) made donations to cover expenses, and (2) purchased air tickets.
However, on February 14, because of civil unrest in Haiti (mostly in the South near Port-au-Prince), the US State Department issued a travel advisory of the most restrictive sort:
So the March mission was cancelled. (The travel advisory was updated on April 9.)
We hoped that the situation might improve by the dates of the June mission. It was comforting to know that, even in our absence, our Domestic Teams are carrying on, offering vasectomies on a regular basis in Ft. Bourgeois and Limonade.
Our schedule was to be as follows, but it never materialized.
Wednesday Mar 13:
Arrive in Cap Haitien on American Airlines #2732 at 12:41 PM. Before we arrive, our Haitian Team brings our stored supplies (tables, Mayo stands, and some equipment) from the Cap Haitian Health Network (CHHN) office to Hopital Ft. St. Michel. We perform vasectomies, reviewing our technique and protocol. We exchange money so that we could reimburse patients for lost income and transportation costs. We spend the evening at Hotel Roi Christophe, where we organize supplies to equip two teams.
Thursday Mar 14:
As Team 1, Dr. St-Vil and Dr. Shelly go to Dr. Mesadieu’s ULS Clinic in Ft. Bourgeois. (Dr. Mesadieu will be with another NGO in Mombin until Friday.) When finished, they go to Dr. St-Martin’s private clinic in Cap-Haitien. As Team 2, Drs. Stein and Johnston spend the day at the Dugue Clinic. Then they go wherever Covsky thinks there would be patients. Options include Centre du Sante 2000 in Limbe, New Hope Hospital in Plaine-du-Nord, or Centre Médical Nouvel Espoir de BasLimbé.
Friday Mar 15:
Team 2 goes to Centre de Sante de Caduch or wherever Covsky thinks might have more patients. Then they go to Hopital Ft. St. Michel. Team 1 goes to Clinique Metropolitaine in Limonade, then joins the other team at HFSM. When finished there, we simply lock the door so we can continue on Saturday morning without having to set up again. We pay all staff for the cases performed so far.
Saturday Mar 16:
HFSM in Cap Haitien until 12:00, at which time we depart to get the 1:31 flight back to Miami. As the other doctors work, I pay the staff for Saturday and divide supplies and equipment into those that stay in Cap-Haitien for the next mission, and those that I bring home to the USA.
Anyway, it was a great schedule, but it never materialized. Luckily, we WERE able to return to Haiti for the next scheduled mission in June 2019.