Clinique Communautaire Planton Casse de Marbial
Marbial is a rural community a few hours outside of Jacmel and where the founder of our partner organization grew up. It has become the center of many of our projects in Haiti through our relationship with Aid International.
We originally established a presence in Marbial through mobile medical clinics we initiated in 2006. In the spring of 2017, the community offered us a building to turn into a permanent freestanding clinic. This building is near the school where we formerly ran the mobile clinics. With the help of our medical director, who is also the medical director for the clinic itself, Clinique Communautaire Planton Casse de Marbial opened its doors on August 1, 2017.
The operating budget for this clinic is approximately $1800 a month. It is staffed by two Haitian nurses (Kolo and Elise) and a lab technician (Paul). Kolo and Elisa are local and grew up in the Aid International orphanage in Jacmel. They have the equivalent of BSN degrees with additional training in infectious disease studies and experience in jobs where they have had to essentially function as providers - Kolo in general medicine and Elise in obstetrics. While the clinic will likely not be sustainable without outside funding, patients are charged the equivalent of $1.50 for the visit - which includes any prescriptions and follow up they may need. This price was determined through collaboration with the area’s mayor and community leaders and our hope is that the people will gain an understanding of the value of medical care and importance of investing in their own community. The clinic is open Monday through Friday from 8am to 5pm, closed an hour for lunch.
Why here?
Well, besides the fact that the door opened through the community asking for it, Marbial is a very remote area with no medical care. The closest medical facility of any kind is about a two hour hike away, accessible really only in the dry season and not very well equipped. Jacmel is the closest city and is 2.5-3 hours away if you have transportation (which most people can't afford) and that is only if the river isn't high. During the rainy season, the city is inaccessible because you have to drive an hour and a half through a river bed and hike about one additional hour to get from Jacmel to Marbial. (We know because we have gotten stuck!) To give you an idea of how spread out the houses in this area are, children who attend the school that Aid International runs (the school in which we run the mobile clinic), walk as far at 6-7 hours just to get to classes every day.
Currently, we are in need of financial support to keep this clinic running. Please consider monthly donations to support the Planton Casse Community Clinic. Again, the operating budget is $1800 a month which includes the salaries of four Haitian employees, upkeep and medications/supplies. All donations are tax deductible and you will receive a statement for tax purposes at the end of the year from Kythoni, Inc.