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From one virus to another… some quick news about the medical work against Covid-19 in Haiti, Bolivia and now too in Europe….

I want to give a quick update as there is little time right now. We came this year just out of a virus epidemic (Dengue Fever provoked by a mosquito) this year when the lock down started in Europe.
I am helping out as for now in Immunology during this “ongoing pandemic” while witnessing in Europe what’s more than a full time job but go on with Haïti and Bolivia. 

Thank God, I specialized in Immunology 10 years ago (after earthquake in Haiti) when I myself became very ill and knew that this could be an outcome and – indeed – I recovered fully!

I am following up – besides the work here – “online” (e-mail, whatsapp, calls, Skype, etc..) with my Bolivian and Haitian teams too but more than 50% of my doctors teams got already infected (no protection material, no intensive care, etc…). Luckily, most of the team are around their 30’s and they get over it. It gives us the change to forward the maximum of donations to Bolivia and Haiti.

Last week 2 Doctors – around 50 years – died in a clinic “Villa Primer de Mayo” where I worked (suburbans of Sta. Cruz – Bolivia) before. The numbers on google, etc…are incorrect as there never came any official healthcare manager in the 30 years when I have been working there. Last week, they put more than 1.000 death people from the streets, out of their cars, homes, etc… only in one Bolivian city….

Also Haiti is doing very bad (but no real numbers) as the Haitian “slave workers” in the hotels on the beaches of “paradise” Dominican Republic (same island = Isla Hispaniola) were sent home into the Haitian mountains where they are infecting lots of others.

Their only “advantage” is that the average lifespan is very low. I once made a study work about it and in the Bolivian poor regions where we worked, the average life span came out at 37 years. If people have good nutrition and are young, they will survive. Otherwise there is no option for serious treatment and discipline is zero. Therefore, we ask your help (see below).

We keep going out with young MD’s but also the death of Dr. Ino (Nov. 2019), who was National Director of Doctors On Mission Bolivia and worked with me for almost 30 years doesn’t make it easy. Anyway, we don’t want to give up and want to keep the hope high.

As for now, I prefer to work (I am already 59) this way and wait here till there is a good vaccin as the infection rates are very high in Bolivia and Haíti and there is no protection nor testing in the regions we work.
As a Doctor you are kind of thrown into these poor health care clinics with too many Covid 19 positive cases and you can do nothing then being infected too…
This all happened in the year were we were thinking to celebrate 30 years medical mission work with Doctors On Mission…Private clinics in city’s or bigger towns have closed their doors because the government is not doing anything and the doctors nor their family want to die when patients with Covid 19 come in with the hundreds or thousands..

Thanks again for your faithful commitment and helping us to keep our head toward God hoping that He will be favorable for each of us. Any support is more than welcome as we must pay our doctors, medicines, infrastructure, transport, etc.. ourselves. 

 

Here is a link if you are considering to help us. 

God bless you and keep safe!!!

Dr. Rik

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