In 2003, we opened our permanent clinic at Sacre Coeur
Parish, the Whitney Clinic,
named after Jim Whitney, the orthodontist whose generous donation allowed us to fund
its construction.
The clinic is manned by an excellent Haitian doctor, Pheles Dagerus MD,
a nurse, and other staff. Dr. Dagerus sees hundreds of patients each
week and provides excellent follow-up care after our medical teams have
returned home and also treats many new patients. The maladies he
treats include malnutrition, parasite infections, malaria, high blood
pressure and diabetes. In addition,
Midwives for Haiti, an
excellent organization based in Virginia, provides all-important prenatal
care in a country where the vast majority of births are unattended.
The recent addition of a dental suite within the clinic now means that our
visiting dentists and hygienists can provide great care in a more
comfortable, sanitary environment. The importance of the Whitney Clinic for
the people of Hinche cannot be overstated. The only public hospital in
the area is very poorly equipped and also unaffordable for many local
residents. Thanks to the generosity of those supporting our Twinning
and Doc-a-Day programs, people from all over Haiti's Central Plateau know
that they can received excellent medical care at no charge at the Whitney
Clinic.
For more information contact our clinic manager, Barbara Burke at
burk2000@earthlink.net.