Photo courtesy of ServeHaiti
Atlanta
Nicole Golden, Editor | Issued on June 13, 2024
ATLANTA — On a video call from Grand-Bois, Haiti, an exhausted-looking Dr. Leopold Burgundy is cheerfully leading a mini-tour of the St. Vincent de Paul Health Center, run by the nonprofit organization ServeHAITI.
Known as “Dr. Leo,” he is medical director of a rural clinic about 40 miles east of Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital, a country plagued by gang violence and unrest.
The doctor once thought about becoming an accountant, but his father discouraged him. “I was flexible,” he said, smiling. “It goes a long way.”
Dr. Leo studied medicine in Montreal and Boston and had a private practice before joining Grand Bois as his doctor in 2001. He began by seeing patients once a month in a makeshift clinic set up by volunteers from the U.S. and Canada behind the Saint-Pierre Catholic Church.
ServeHAITI built the medical center in 2005 with the help of volunteers and the support of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul of Sacred Heart Church in Atlanta and other donors.
Dr. Leo has lived just a few feet away from the facility and has been tending its garden since it opened. He is one of two doctors at the clinic, which is the only medical center in the area. Six nurses are on staff, providing around-the-clock care in shifts during the week and treating only emergency cases on weekends.
After considering paediatrics, Dr Leo changed his study focus to preventive and social medicine, completing a Masters in Water and Sanitation.
The clinic normally treats 16,000 patients a year, providing basic and acute medical care, dental and malnutrition care, perinatal and obstetric care, and medicines. Doctors acknowledge that the work is no easy feat, and that the flight of many people from the Haitian capital “puts additional strain on our health system.”
“It’s very difficult for us right now.” He spoke about the impact on staff. “The fact that we’re all in this together gives us energy.”
A Haitian mother feeds her child a peanut butter mixture to fight malnutrition. ServeHAITI’s Medika Mamba program provides a mixture of oil, peanut butter and minerals to help babies and children survive and grow. Photo courtesy of ServeHAITI
In Haiti, violence and unrest follow years of political instability and natural disasters, leaving many workers separated from their families.
“Some people can’t even go home,” said Ron Apollon, organizing director for ServeHAITI, who is originally from Haiti and now lives in Atlanta, speaking on a conference call about the shortages and the logistics of getting needed supplies to clinics.
Apollon, a member of the Parishioner of Our Lady of Lourdes, is in daily contact with staff in Haiti. He and Dr. Leo say the most needed supplies are vitamins, blood pressure medication and medicines to treat common gastrointestinal disorders. Baby care products are also in demand.
Apollon said many items are stored and ready to be sent, but rising shipping costs have made it difficult to get them to Haiti. Plans are being made for new shipping routes to prevent gangs from intercepting the goods. Donors can support the organization by donating to its “Health is Hope” campaign.
The Catholic Church has always been an important partner of ServeHAITI, with the support of priests, nuns and volunteers from sister parishes, but currently it is not possible for volunteers from the United States to travel safely.
“We have a good relationship with the church,” Dr. Leo said, “we are God’s people.”
Dr. Leo said the Catholic Church’s involvement with ServeHAITI has been vital to the work. “They’ve done a lot,” Dr. Leo said.
In the clinic, where pictures of Pope Francis and the Archbishop of Port-au-Prince hang on the wall behind the doctors, Dr. Leo said the Church in Haiti is also now facing challenges.
Gregory Amoroso, a parishioner at St. Thomas More Church, is treasurer for ServeHAITI. Amoroso has visited Grand Bois several times since 2012 and enjoys helping the people of Haiti.
Amoroso said because it’s an agricultural environment, homes don’t have running water and use charcoal for cooking. It’s not uncommon to see children as young as 6 or 7 carrying buckets of water for their families, Amoroso said.
ServeHAITI has drilled five community wells and distributed more than 5,400 water purification systems. Families learn how to use the systems properly, because health is linked to clean water. The organization fights malnutrition with its Medika Mamba (Peanut Medicine) program. Peanut butter, powdered milk, and vegetable oil mixed with vitamins and minerals help infants and children survive and grow. Clinic staff also make home visits to check in on neighbors.
Amoroso said the organization recently received a grant from Kellogg to help struggling mothers.
Despite past hardships, Amoroso is aware that many in the community are feeling stress for the first time.
“It seems like this might be the breaking point,” he said of the current atmosphere.
