Haiti’s healthcare system is overtaxed, with just six health professionals per 10,000 people and about 40% of the population lacking access to essential health and nutrition services. Those who go to a hospital may be unable to afford the care, medicine or even food to eat while there.
In response, Light From Light helped our sister organization, Lespwa Timoun, to open a health clinic in Croix des Bouquets, a suburb of Port au Prince, in 2003. The clinic, staffed by 50+ Haitian professionals, brings health and nutrition to approximately 1,000 adults and children monthly, with laboratory, ultrasound, EKG, vaccination and pharmacy services on site.
Following the escalation of violence and instability in recent years, freedom of movement for both healthcare providers and patients has sometimes been a challenge.
Because of this, Light from Light partnered with the Lespwa Timoun clinic to set up a telemedicine link and regular patient visits with doctors based in the U.S.
In addition, Light from Light also provides telemedicine services to patients in hard-to-reach areas in partnership with community health workers.
In order for Lespwa Timoun’s physicians to have a farther, more consistent reach, we partner with Community Health Workers – individuals who live in the rural, mountain communities, who are able to deliver health interventions at the moment when they are most needed.
Nearly 100% of the time, a mom will be able to diagnose when her child has diarrhea. However, the diagnosis is not helpful unless an intervention is available for that child. By equipping community health workers with medications and interventions that will be effective in treating the most common diseases in these regions, Lespwa Timoun can save lives in partnership with local leaders.
If you live in a remote village in Haiti, the only way to see a doctor is to travel, most likely by foot, for hours or even days to a nearby city. Travelling this way is impossible for those who are gravely ill, and impractical for basic preventative care. Our medical mission teams from the United States partner with Lespwa Timoun to bring mobile clinics and medication to underserved communities. Communities partner in this effort by clearing roads for Lespwa Timoun’s vehicles, underscoring their need, commitment and gratitude for the care of Lespwa Timoun’s physicians and nurses.
Most Haitians have never seen a dentist, and many lack basic preventative care. Likewise, eye care and prescriptions are not widely available. Light from Light mission teams bring a variety of medical specialists, including physicians, dentists, optometrists, as well as the necessary supplies to the Lespwa Timoun clinic and other remote villages.
Lespwa Timoun partners with Haitian Dental School students to expand patient treatment and education. The settings for clinics, particularly in rural areas, are often rudimentary, but the effect of the services are transformational for a person living with pain and discomfort.
