We arrived at Hopital Saint Michel in Cap-Haitien, Haiti this morning to find that our partners—International Medical Corps—had prepared for our arrival. We were introduced to Dr. Johanna Trevant, the hospital’s head of gynecology, and two nurses designated to learn the See and Treat procedure. We began with an informational seminar and then moved to a clinic room, where two patient stations were quickly set up. One hundred patients were registered, and throughout the day, we trained the Saint Michel nurses, as well as Dr.Trevant, in the See and Treat procedure. IMC Dr. Chevalier and nurse Anne took the lead in training their Cap-Haitien colleagues. The CCC team provided a mostly supervisory role without the need for much intervention.
Unfortunately, we did encounter two women with advanced cervical cancer, who were not candidates for any treatment that was available on the island of Haiti. Additionally, we found two women with clinical Stage IB1 cervical lesions, who may be candidates for radical hysterectomy. We performed cervical biopsies on these women, however, it is likely that Dr. Trevant and her colleagues will proceed with surgery before the biopsy results return, as these results typically take at least three months. Many members of the hospital staff wanted to have the screening preformed on them at the end of the day.
Our very successful day culminated in a small ceremony, where we presented Certificates of Training to our IMC colleagues. They are now highly proficient at the technique and capable of passing on this knowledge to others for the purpose of continuing this program in Cap-Haitien.
At the end of a particularly long and fulfilling day, we can reflect back on our week-long trip and feel a deep sense of purpose and accomplishment. Dr. Trevant asked us, “How did you find your visit to Haiti?” Our answer was, “If ever there was a population that this screening method was most perfectly suited for, it seems as if the people of Haiti are that population.” We have never had more enthusiastic partners than H.O.P.E. Haiti and International Medical Corps, and we look forward to a productive and enduring relationship in the future!