Haiti is a country that is suffering through a long period of political uncertainty and unrest.  The impact of this dysfunction is felt most by the impoverished – the community we serve.  Medical services everywhere in Port-au-Prince have been reduced to their lowest level.  State-run hospitals, which are the only hope for the poor, have run out of resources.  The state-run hospital in Cité Soleil, called St. Catherine’s, has been closed for two years.  Currently, the main General Hospital is also completely shut down, not even emergency services are available. 

ANNOUNCING expanding programs

In other words, entire low-income communities, across the city, have been left without health care options.  In response, Lamp has decided to dramatically increase its mobile clinic program.  Mobile clinics allow us to expand our geographical reach, providing services to areas that may not have had any services for years.  For the present we are providing a minimum of one mobile clinic per week in an effort to meet that tremendous demand, and expect to continue at this pace throughout the coming year. 

We will always be, of course, a part of the Bwa Nèf community, in Cité Soleil, and we will not neglect that community, our home base.  Lamp has always hoped, however, to add another permanent service location, and our mobile clinic program will help in that direction as well.  Each mobile clinic we hold, each new partner we connect with, will give us more information that we can use to make that decision in future.   

Speaking of community: our staff is itself a community that Lamp participates in, and it is here that we have the most to report. 

ANNOUNCING our new Medical Director, Dr. Stanley Metellus.  The Lamp newsletter provides more information, but we are extremely happy to have found an ideal replacement for our long time Director, Dr. Barrère Hyppolite.  Dr. Metellus is both a pharmacist and internal medicine specialist and has already shown his immense value for Lamp’s medical services.  We have also recently hired a second nurse mid-wife, a laboratory technician, and a finance officer, all with excellent qualifications.  All three are new positions.  Dr. Vilpigue continues to lead our pediatric program, after her much-appreciated stint as Interim Medical Director. With this revitalization of our staff we are hugely optimistic about the coming year.  Despite challenges, we are fully equipped to move in whatever direction the situation demands.

As you can tell, Lamp is not waiting for Haiti to “return to normal”.  The need is great, we want to push ahead, and your support is critical to that end.  Please do give generously – the communities we serve need -- and deserve -- your compassion. 

To donate, please use the Donate button at top or bottom of this page.  Thank You!