---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Tom Chowattukunnel <nivnithzak@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, Jan 31, 2010 at 5:58 PM
Subject: HAITI-day 2
To: HOME <nivnithzak@gmail.com>
Cc: SINDU <sinliz67@gmail.com>
HAITI-day 2
Awakened by my watch alarm at 6:30am,but was really already awake due to the incessant crowing of at least one,if not many roosters.Did not hear or see any crows,like morning in Kerala.Breakfast was ?apple cake and a small bowl of fruit.Changed into scrubs and gathered all my gear for the trip to our new location,? 30-40 miles southwest.Good thing I found an available bathroom and was able to poop before we left.Had to use manual flush technique(bucket of water).
All 14 of us loaded into the back of a flatbed truck with all our gear.This could have been Project ORBIT(Ophthalmologist Right Back In The Truck),but then I volunteered to sit in front between the driver and the interpreter.The sights along the bumpy 3 hour trip were quite interesting.It took so long because of traffic jams around Portauprince and bad roads.A few sections of road had cracks from quake damage and some areas were partially blocked with fallen rocks and dirt.At one point we saw a man with hammer and chisel chipping away at a huge boulder partially obstructing the road.Too bad he didn't have access to the big yellow Caterpillar bulldozer we passed several kilometers earlier.We saw some collapsed buildings along the way,but no major quake damage.There was plenty of poverty along the way,multiple areas of shanty towns and people living in tents.Interspersed were several open air vegetable and fruit markets.Along the roadside many goats grazed on heaps of refuse.A few pigs foraged through trash,as if on the hunt for truffles.Believe it or not,I actually saw some kids having fun playing soccer with a homemade ball and some flying ragged,little kites.
We arrived at the mission clinic just before noon and right away began seeing patients.There were already several US doctors there.One lives in Haiti;she did her family practice residency in South Bend.People waited on benches in the courtyard of the clinic building in different areas,according to their complaints and how they were triaged.I saw lots of patients,but not many with acute or earthquake- related injuries.I gave out a lot of artificial tears,mainly because I thnk they expected to get something and it seemed to make them happy.Too bad I had to leave some tear drops in Florida,but they will be brought here later.No time for lunch today.Spent time speaking with a few of the Haitian translators who worked with me.Haitians speak Creole at home and French at work.The main guy helping me also knows English and Spanish.His education is now interrupted indefinitely because of the disaster.
Finished after four and went to help get 2 large US Marine
tents,which we set up by nightfall.Seismic readings are predicting a large quake within a few days.So we are sleeping outside in the tents,instead of a building that might not withstand further tremors.Hopefully,God will protect Haiti(us too) from further calamity.
Supper was rice with stews of either goat,fish or vegetables.I tried goat(mostly potatoes) stew and some fish later.Both were good, but not as good as yesterday.Drank Coke.Sat and chatted with some of the docs from other groups.One guy from Columbia City has been to Kerala.He is here with 2 of his college-aged kids.We spoke about the upcoming Colts game and wondered if we could watch it with the marines via sattelite.Go Colts!
Sent from my iPhone
From: Tom Chowattukunnel <nivnithzak@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, Jan 31, 2010 at 5:58 PM
Subject: HAITI-day 2
To: HOME <nivnithzak@gmail.com>
Cc: SINDU <sinliz67@gmail.com>
HAITI-day 2
Awakened by my watch alarm at 6:30am,but was really already awake due to the incessant crowing of at least one,if not many roosters.Did not hear or see any crows,like morning in Kerala.Breakfast was ?apple cake and a small bowl of fruit.Changed into scrubs and gathered all my gear for the trip to our new location,? 30-40 miles southwest.Good thing I found an available bathroom and was able to poop before we left.Had to use manual flush technique(bucket of water).
All 14 of us loaded into the back of a flatbed truck with all our gear.This could have been Project ORBIT(Ophthalmologist Right Back In The Truck),but then I volunteered to sit in front between the driver and the interpreter.The sights along the bumpy 3 hour trip were quite interesting.It took so long because of traffic jams around Portauprince and bad roads.A few sections of road had cracks from quake damage and some areas were partially blocked with fallen rocks and dirt.At one point we saw a man with hammer and chisel chipping away at a huge boulder partially obstructing the road.Too bad he didn't have access to the big yellow Caterpillar bulldozer we passed several kilometers earlier.We saw some collapsed buildings along the way,but no major quake damage.There was plenty of poverty along the way,multiple areas of shanty towns and people living in tents.Interspersed were several open air vegetable and fruit markets.Along the roadside many goats grazed on heaps of refuse.A few pigs foraged through trash,as if on the hunt for truffles.Believe it or not,I actually saw some kids having fun playing soccer with a homemade ball and some flying ragged,little kites.
We arrived at the mission clinic just before noon and right away began seeing patients.There were already several US doctors there.One lives in Haiti;she did her family practice residency in South Bend.People waited on benches in the courtyard of the clinic building in different areas,according to their complaints and how they were triaged.I saw lots of patients,but not many with acute or earthquake- related injuries.I gave out a lot of artificial tears,mainly because I thnk they expected to get something and it seemed to make them happy.Too bad I had to leave some tear drops in Florida,but they will be brought here later.No time for lunch today.Spent time speaking with a few of the Haitian translators who worked with me.Haitians speak Creole at home and French at work.The main guy helping me also knows English and Spanish.His education is now interrupted indefinitely because of the disaster.
Finished after four and went to help get 2 large US Marine
tents,which we set up by nightfall.Seismic readings are predicting a large quake within a few days.So we are sleeping outside in the tents,instead of a building that might not withstand further tremors.Hopefully,God will protect Haiti(us too) from further calamity.
Supper was rice with stews of either goat,fish or vegetables.I tried goat(mostly potatoes) stew and some fish later.Both were good, but not as good as yesterday.Drank Coke.Sat and chatted with some of the docs from other groups.One guy from Columbia City has been to Kerala.He is here with 2 of his college-aged kids.We spoke about the upcoming Colts game and wondered if we could watch it with the marines via sattelite.Go Colts!
Sent from my iPhone
No comments:
Post a Comment