The hospital itself (Saint-Michel Hospital) looks a lot like a semi-permanent installation. The paths are gravel, the paint on the walls is chipped and fading. A woman was sleeping on a bench in the "waiting room" outside the pre-surgical ward. Inside, we spoke to a man who was in a motorcycle accident 2 weeks prior, who was hoping to go in for surgery soon. By the time they see him, they will undoubtedly need to re-break the mal-healed bone, and re-set it in a more correct position.
The scarred and malnourished mama dog wandering the compound would be an absurd juxtaposition at any hospital in the United States.
The internal medicine suite was
quiet, though full. The quiet was disturbed, briefly, by the rooster in the building. The view out the back was outstanding - breathtaking.
Old equipment stored outside in rubble.
There is supposed to be a new hospital built. It is supposed to meet national standards. It is supposed to be complete in March 2016. I saw nothing but a metal fence indicating any construction, present or future. I was told there was a collapsing church that had been removed since the last time Shenandoah people were here. Progress, I suppose. After that story, we heard the story of right after the earthquake, when surgeries were being performed in the concrete lot behind the hospital. That was an emergency - this is a travesty.
The lot.
I saw a truck I liked - it was good to focus on - The Toyota FJ40 Land Cruiser may be the pinnacle of ugly, functional, adventurous beauty; assuming we're comparing nations of millions to vehicles, Haiti is a bad example. It's not ugly enough. It's not functional enough. It might fit the adventurous bill. I suppose the biggest way it compares is that there's a lot to love here - but there's a frightening rust problem.
No clever jokes on this post, no quips. Just one student, at the end of a day of wonder, thankful for all the gifts his life has given him.
I saw a truck I liked - it was good to focus on - The Toyota FJ40 Land Cruiser may be the pinnacle of ugly, functional, adventurous beauty; assuming we're comparing nations of millions to vehicles, Haiti is a bad example. It's not ugly enough. It's not functional enough. It might fit the adventurous bill. I suppose the biggest way it compares is that there's a lot to love here - but there's a frightening rust problem.
No clever jokes on this post, no quips. Just one student, at the end of a day of wonder, thankful for all the gifts his life has given him.
Very thoughtful, poetic in the tragic sense. When will Haiti move forward?
ReplyDelete