Haiti Covid-19 Update
Haitian Christian OutreachCOVID-19 is spreading throughout the country and people are getting very anxious. Government officials have just announced 2 more months of lock down. Haiti currently has 1 testing lab in Port-au-Prince and results are taking 4-5 business days. This is down from the original 14 day wait for results. There are also 2 COVID Centers in country, which are able to treat patients. Currently all ICU beds in the country are full.
Peredo Community Hospital staff continues to work with patients both with and without symptoms of COVID-19. We are setting up a special area on campus outside of the hospital to treat patients with symptoms of COVID-19 to help slow the spread. All patients coming to the hospital are consulted outside the gate to see how we can best serve them. No patient is turned away. Basic care for the community also continues and the hospital saw over 750 patients in April.
Thanks to Sherwood Oaks Christian Church in Indiana, a donation for COVID-19 relief was able to purchase PPE and lab equipment for the hospital. HCO, FAME, and LIFELINE are also partnering to send a 40′ shipping container from LIFELINE in Westerville, Ohio filled with food, PPE, basic medical supplies, medication, and equipment such as oxygen.
All six Emmanuel Christian Schools have been closed since March 15th with the announcement of the first registered case of the virus. Since then, the National Board of Education has decided to forego testing for students entering the 1st and 6th grades, which will allow these students to enter despite no testing. We are blessed to have been able to pay all teachers and principals their salaries during this difficult time. We also thank the Lord for keeping our students and their families safe and in good health and ask that you continue to pray for our school staff, students, and their families.
We continue to encourage our pastors in our Emmanuel Christian Churches throughout the region. Many can conduct online services like Pastor Similien in Port-au-Prince below and continue to encourage their congregations. We are blessed to have been able to pay our pastors their salaries during this crisis as well.
We continue to reach out to the surrounding communities as best we can. The most urgent community service we are currently working toward is educating the community on COVID-19. We have a physiologist who will be training our teachers, pastors and PCH staff in how to best educate our communities on the symptoms of the virus, how to take precautions and slow the spread, how to care for others, and what to do if they think they might have the virus. Unfortunately, there has been a false stigma placed on those with the virus and we want to make sure our neighbors are fully educated to break this stigma.
Thank you for your prayers! Eline and I are healthy and continue to press on by God’s Grace! –RoRo
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Carol Remington
We are praying daily for your health and safety during this pandemic. We thank God for you and the HCO staff and all and their willingness to be used by God during this time. Stay healthy and safe!