Day 2 Update from Clay Hunt
TR Paramedic Brian Shaw posting new guidelines at the entrance of the Saint-Michele CTC during tonights evening shift. We are doing everything we can to improve sanitation at the clinic and to educate the local populace on what Cholera is, how it is spread, and how it can be prevented. Our main focus today was on preventing cross-contamination between the 3 areas of the clinic, and especially between ill patients and their families. The family members come to bring food and clean clothes for their loved ones, and to take the dishes, soiled clothes and linens to be washed outside the clinic- which can transmit the disease to others. Now, all of the dishes are washed and disinfected inside the clinic before leaving the CTC. Additionally, the linens and clothes, as well as the family members carrying them, are being sprayed with a disinfectant Chlorine solution before being allowed to leave. This is all being done by the local volunteers who have been working here since the outbreak- the family members are very receptive and are learning quickly- a very good sign! Dr. Ogles, Brian Shaw, and Travis Rohde are continuing to make rounds, assess patients, and triage and admit new Cholera cases- there were 4 less today than there were yesterday. Tomorrow we will return to the CTC to meet with the IMC doctors and staff, and might be pushing out to establish a new Oral Rehydration Point in a remote area that has seen a spike in cases. We’ll see what happens once our roosters wake us up in a few hours…
Smart manuever, Are you guys setting up the clinics to be self sufficient when you leave? Are you leaving oral rehydration solution etc and leaving a local person in charge who you have trained?
Yes we are, in conjunction with the IMC. Our foremost initiative is to integrate best practices at the clinic; at this time there is not much shortage of ORS, simple a lack of knowledge and sanitation, which is easily left behind.