“Daddy, I feel very uncomfortable and it hurts everywhere,” says Miclaine, 10, from her hospital bed.
Weak and severely dehydrated, Miclaine was admitted just one day earlier to International Medical Corps’ Cholera Treatment Center (CTC) in Verrettes, an area in the southern Artibonite region of Haiti, where a severe cholera outbreak has led to nearly 4,700 confirmed cases and more than 300 deaths.
Like most of the patients here, Miclaine arrived at International Medical Corps’ CTC in Verrettes in critical condition, her body depleted from intense bouts of vomiting and diarrhea. Now, under the care of International Medical Corps doctors and nurses, her condition has improved drastically.
Miclaine was at school when the first symptoms of cholera surfaced. Just shortly after, her father Acleus received a call that his daughter had died. He immediately rushed to the school by motorcycle to find his daughter unconscious, with very poor vital signs, unable to speak or open her eyes.
“Luckily, I was able to reach the scene just in time to [get her to] this Cholera Treatment Center where she was brought back to life,” says Acleus.
Like many seeking affordable and accessible care for medical ailments in Haiti, Acleus was accustomed to visiting traditional healers instead of doctors. Acleus admits that he has learned a lot by seeking care at the CTC and knows that it is best to keep his daughter under the care of International Medical Corps doctors and nurses. Acleus believes his daughter’s condition would have been much more serious if he took her home or to a traditional healer instead of the CTC. He feels that many of the deaths from the cholera outbreak are due to the fact that patients do not get to the hospital in time to receive this level of lifesaving care.
“Despite her loss in appetite, Miclaine feels much better compared to last night,” says Acleus.
And, thanks to the hard work of International Medical Corps doctors and nurses, he is confident that his daughter will recover quickly and will soon be back in school, surrounded by friends and family.