Haiti: Grace Children’s Hospital, Port-au-Prince (#418520)

Summary
Some children at Grace Children's Hospital, Port-au-Prince, Haiti, are in school for the first time—as they recover from injury or illness. Only 65% of Haitian children are enrolled in school, and fewer than 35% of those will complete sixth grade. Math, grammar, educational games and arts are among the courses offered. Your gifts can make a difference for these children.  

Description
Hospital and clinic-based care for people with tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, and other illnesses, Grace Children’s Hospital, a program of International Child Care, has provided health care to children and families in Port-au-Prince, Haiti since 1967. Recognized as Haiti’s leading medical facility dedicated to the treatment of children with tuberculosis, Grace Children’s Hospital reaches out to some of the poorest people in the western hemisphere, providing them with health and hope.  

The 60-bed inpatient ward cares for children who are severely. A typical course of treatment for a child with TB takes about three months. During this time, the children receive not only quality medical care, but also nutritious meals and Christian education. For some, this is the first and only time they will go to school. The children’s lives are also enriched by daily devotions, caring staff members, and the new friendships they form during the long recovery period.  

Both adults and children can visit one of Grace Children’s Hospital’s many outpatient clinics for diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up visits. Available clinics include general pediatrics, TB, HIV/AIDS counseling and treatment, reproductive health, nutrition, and a new, state-of-the-art eye clinic with surgical capacity. International Child Care makes every effort to respond to the needs of the community and offer new services as circumstances arise.  

Taking its mission to promote health and well-being a step further, International Child Care trains community health workers to go out into the slums around the hospital, where they teach preventative health measures and hold local vaccination and nutrition clinics for mothers with small children. A special group of ICC’s health workers trained traditional birth attendants, or midwives combine their knowledge of traditional Haitian practices with up-to-date medical techniques for prenatal care and childbirth.  

All of the staff members at Grace Children’s Hospital are Haitian; however, it is the support from individuals and churches in North America that allows the doctors to treat any patients who come in the door, regardless of their ability to pay. With the help of United Methodists, Grace Children’s Hospital can continue to serve the children and families of Haiti for many years to come.