Corail, Port au Prince, Haiti a planned tent community

Today was another interesting day, I have now taken a total of 440 photos!
After arranging supplies we loaded up the truck and headed off with the new doctor to the clinic.
I had volunteered to speak at the morning clinic meeting because I heard that when the second year resident who was volunteering at the clinic, had spoken on Saturday there had been some resentment about ‘Expat’ doctors. I spoke for several minutes aquainting the staff with my qualifications and experience and suggested that not all volunteers had the same experience. I pointed out the fact that although we are here to help the ultimate responsibility for the clinic rests with the Haitian staff and doctors. I then gave some suggestions on how I thought the clinic procedures might be improved, I told them they could take them or leave them. I think my presentation was well received for the most part.
As we were clearing up after the meeting one of the staff people fell flat on her face. This was not the same member who passed out twice last week. I treated her for heat exhaustion. My translator had called in the morning to say he wouldn’t be coming in today because he had diarrhea, I brought him in some Peptobismol. This brings to 6 the number of staff members I have treated in a week! The clinic is about 105 degrees with no air all the time (minimum). The new doctor had a good idea and we lowered the tent wall, this made it noisier but at least the temperature decreased by about 5 degrees.
We talked to the camp manager about the possibility of a generator for the clinic which would allow for a fan and use of the nebulizer. I get the impression that this is not going to happen however because of logistical and budgetary constraints.
In the afternoon I went out to the camp called Corail. This is a very interesting camp. It is what is called a planned camp. It was set up to move some people out of Terrain Acra and it now houses 5,000 people although people are drifting in and around it daily, I am sure it will be double thesize in a year. The difference with this camp is that it is structured, all the tents are in lines, with gravel on the ground. A few seedlings have been planted to create trees. It has problems though and apparently regular riots. The current controversies include the fact that food rations were given out 3 weeks ago and people are really hungry. This camp has no soil to grow food and no industry near by for jobs and none of the usual vendors, I didn’t even see the usual lottery booth. Oxfam refuses to pay people to clean the latrines and says the people should clean them of their own volition so the latrine cleaners stopped. Within 24 hours the latrines could not be used and a riot was brewing. ARC is temporarily paying the people but is unable to sustain it, there was a meeting with World Vision this afternoon and apparently they are saying they will pick up the tab, so we will see.
A stone slab has been set to allow the setting up of a primary school, which will be going up tomorrow, there is already a kindergarten. All the camps have kiddie friendly spaces, showers and a water supply. Oxfam ships in 10,000 gallons of water daily to the camp. The water balloon was deflated when I was there and the camp manager said he was not sure why Oxfam had not yet delivered the water.
While we were walking around the camp manager came and told me about a pregnant woman who was complaining of abdominal pain and crying and there was no one to transport her to the hospital. Everyone was stressing. Right place at the right time I guess! I examined her and fortunately I determined that it was probably a urinary tract infection and I just happened to have some medicine in my bag. Its hard to lecture a pregnant woman about drinking more water when there is none to be had! Anyway all is well that ends well……… I guess. At the end an ex-lover came up to us and started a long story about how she was a ‘bad woman’ and his girlfriend didn’t want her in their tent anymore and….
The best part of going to the camp? the kids, I gave out candy and the kids sang for us. There was a group of boys steadfastly playing soccer the whole time I was there oblivious to our visit. The worst part, people are hungry and thirsty something bad is going to happen.