 |
Destruction in Port-au-Prince
|
In 2010, a major earthquake hit Haiti, causing massive injury, death and damage to infrastructure. We began planning a trip to Haiti in the hopes of providing treatment and training options to the devastated populace. The situation on the ground was extremely challenging. Communication, personal security, corruption, and disease were already problems in Haiti before the earthquake, all of which got much worse after the natural disaster.
 |
Treatments in one of the tent camps
|
We networked with a group of American Naturopathic Physicians also planning a relief mission, and networked through international and local non-profit agencies to arrange housing, transportation, and access to patient populations. We provided training to a diverse group of healthcare workers, community volunteers and university students in the medical field. Clinical training was done at several of the extensive “tent cities” that spread across Port-au-Prince and surrounding areas.
People responded extremely well to the treatments and were appreciative of the support. Many patients had recent amputations from crush injuries during the earthquake, and we noted that these individuals requested extra long treatment times sometimes sitting with the needles for more than an hour and even after needles had been removed they sat with the treatment group for most of the time we were providing services at the site.
 |
| Policeman receiving NADA treatment |