20250: Raber: Re: 20208: DeGraff: Farmer's Open Letter to Secretary Powell: Need for Medical Neutrality in Haiti (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: P&M Raber <raber@valkyrie.net>

In his letter to Powell about the threat to the healthcare facilities in
Haiti, Paul farmer mentioned the stealing of two of his hospital's vehicles
by military rebels.  He forgot to mention the ransacking of the Diquini
Hospital in Carrefour area by Lavalas chimeres.  He also forgot to mention
the many crimes (including murder and rapes) committed by those same
chimeres at various Haitian hospitals these last couple of years. I guess it
was OK as long as Lavalas was on the aggressive end.

Farmer goes on to praise the opening of the Tabarre medical center and
school as the only quality educational institutions recruiting talented poor
students from around the country.   The facility offered modern medical care
since February but was looted.  Two comments on that one.  I remember
visiting the Michele Duvalier state-of -the art hospital in Bon Repos in
1984.  It even had a neo-natal intensive care units and was way more modern
than Capape Vert while babies were wallowing in filth at University
hospitals.  Guess what happened to it after February 7, 1986?  Haitian
presidents and their cronies have to quit trying to make themselves look
good by starting more new places instead of getting serious about fixing the
Universite d'Etat D'Haiti (which we now realize did a pretty good job
educating doctors until 1986 since most of its graduates are now practicing
in the US, France, and Canada).   There are already two decent private
medical schools (and a few more bad ones).  Many young people from all
around Haiti attend those schools.  Some ,of course, are sponsored from
abroad or within Haiti.  Why not just provide for scholarships to those
schools for qualified individuals?  Why not reserve a certain number of
spots at the States school for talented youth from each geographic
department?  Why not make students doctors who leave the country soon after
graduation (just issue a temporary license for a number of years)refund the
government for what it cost to educate them?  ANSWER: Because its all about
Aristide and his former kingdom of Tabarre.  The 247 sudents who have lost
their schools should go take the admissions tests at the 3 existing schools
(State, Notre Dame and Quisqueya (partially looted too) ), and see if they
qualify for transfer to those schools.  Taiwan and Cuba can sponsor them at
those schools.  By the way, Haiti should have free elementary education and
paid university education instead of the other way around.  Those wanting
waved fees should commit to practice (law, medicine, engineering, agronomy
if it's ever rebuilt after Chimeres dertroooyed it too ...) in their home
communes for at least 5 years after social service


QUOTES    The report, filed a few days ago, goes on to signal "disregard for
the
> health institutions' neutrality and immunity. Several hospitals were the
> target of violence. Patients were assaulted in some institutions and the
> staff providing care is worried about exercising their duties safely.>
>
. Our own medical and public-health efforts are based in the
> Central Department, where I have worked and lived for over 20 years. Just
> over a week ago, two of our medical vehicles were commandeered by the
> heavily armed men who today call themselves Haiti's "military leaders."
>
>
> Medical education is also at a standstill.
>
>> The University of Tabarre recently inaugurated Haiti's newest medical
> school. Unlike other faculties in Haiti, this one recruited medical
> students from poor families residing in each of Haiti's nine departments.
>
> Talented young people from rural Haiti have previously found it nearly
> impossible to make their way to medical school, but this institution seeks
> out young men and women from poor families, trainees who declare a
> commitment to returning to communities throughout Haiti's villages and
> towns and slums. Both creating much-needed opportunities and answering a
> desperate need, this new facility was dedicated in December 2003. Taiwan's
> ambassador to Haiti then spoke of Taiwanese providing the funding for the
> "hardware" and the Cuban faculty as providing the "software."
>
> The teaching hospital of the Universite of Tabarre, shared with Haiti's
> state university and its leading private medical schools, opened on
> February 6 in the Delmas area of Port-au-Prince. Less than 24 hours after
> the ribbon was cut, babies were being delivered in the safety of a modern
> medical facility-- a rarity in Haiti, where one in every 16 women die in
> childbirth.

>
> More to the point, what will become of its 247 medical students?
>
>

>
> Paul Farmer, M.D., Ph.D.
>
> Medical Director
> Clinique Bon Sauveur
> and
> Professor
> Harvard Medical School
>
>
>