President Clinton meets Dr Megan Coffee
The TB ward at the HUEH hospital
I have been working in Haiti at the General Hospital since January. I work as the doctor in the TB ward. Most of our patients are young–usually in their twenties.
Many do not have enough resources to buy extra food to gain weight, beyond the food they are supplied by the hospital. We also are in need of supplies such as thoracentesis kits to drain with needles the liquid which accumulates in these patients’ lungs.
My name is Erica Peters. I am an emergency nurse at Highland Hospital, the county hospital in Oakland, CA. I recently returned from my second two-week stint in Haiti doing relief work at the Port au Prince General Hospital. I am writing on behalf of Dr. Megan Coffee whom I had the pleasure and honor of working with while in Haiti. Her unremitting work begs recognition, so I wanted to give an eye witness account of what she is accomplishing down there and how important her work is to the hospital staff, her fellow volunteers and most importantly her patients.
Megan has been down in Haiti since January and is working seven days a week for a minimum of 12 hours each day with very few exceptions. She established and now supervises a 3-tent, 45-bed inpatient tuberculosis treatment center, and she runs a Monday through Friday outpatient TB clinic. She treats many patients diagnosed with both HIV and TB, and collaborates with other clinics to attain supplementary medications or a more appropriate setting. Just in the first week of June, Megan coordinated (and funded) a plane transfer to a local surgery center for a 23 year old boy who was paralyzed from spinal TB. All this, it is important to remember, is happening on a hospital campus where retrieving one working tank of oxygen presents any number of obstacles. Her work load is overwhelming.
Dr. Coffee impresses everyone she works with. The American volunteers including Doctors, Nurses and NGO staff are awestruck by her and describe her with words like, “commited”, “amazing”, “inspirational”, “dedicated”, and “tireless”. More importantly, The Haitian community adores her: not only does she commonly receive phone calls from her old patients thanking her and updating her on their recovery, but on her birthday, despite their very real poverty, her patients and their families decorated their tents and celebrated her with a party. The nurses she works with come in on their days off to make her lunch, and one of the head hospital administrators jokes with her that they are the only two people at the hospital everyday.
Megan is providing TB treatment to a population that would otherwise be abandoned. There is no intention to continue TB treatment on the General Hospital campus without her presence, and TB treatment in Port au Prince before the earthquake was painfully limited. Her contributions to the public health of Port au Prince are impressive, to say the least, and I am truly proud to know her.
I would encourage you to volunteer with Dr. Coffee in Haiti to really grasp what she has tackled, but since that may not be possible, I want to relay to you her compassion, enterprise, selflessness, energy and unwavering commitment to the people she serves.
Erica Peters, MSN, RN
Hi Dr. C.,
I also need an email adress to get you money through paypal.
Thanks for all the time you spent with Joseph.
Christina
Hey, Dr. C:
Need an email address to send funds via Paypal. Could you email it to me?
Judi
I am coming to Haiti Nov 15 with a group. We are bringing some supplies with us but have no more room. I have some thoracenthesis kits that my hospital here has no use for – for whatever the reason is. They give me extra supplies destined for donations. I will try to find a way to get them to Haiti unless you have someone coming from Minnesota that I can contact.
Saw you this morn with Dr. Gupta on CNN. I rarely donate to anything, money never seems to get to those who need it, but was so impressed by your efforts and the discussion, I searched for you on twitter (had never been there), found the link to your site, and made a small donation. I’m going to encourage CNN to do follow ups. You truly seem genuine, and people like you restore my faith the world is not all lost and mankind will not destroy itself. Please let us know on your site how your efforts are going. Thank you for your work, and may God bless you.
I worked in Haiti for four years and still speak Creole well. After the quake, I came very close to going back. But, I knew from experience that you need a good place to stay and clean food to eat otherwise you yourself will get sick. I know someday I will go back to help but I truly admire what Dr Coffee is doing and I know the challenges she is facing. She said she stayed because of the people, I know exactly what she means, the Haitian people are absolutely wonderful. Keep up the good work.
Re: to Jean Yunker
I am a doctor in Minnesota—have spent a lot of time in Haiti and met Dr. Coffee a couple months ago. I will be back in Haiti in January and February. I would be happy to bring in the thoracentesis kits and can get them to Dr. Coffee. I am leaving in early January. Please e-mail me at halv0105 (at) umn (dot) edu. Hopefully we can connect.
Thanks,
Jen
Dr. Coffee,
I am coming to Real Hope For Haiti in Cazale next week from Minnesota. – Friday, November 19th. I have 10 thoracentesis trays to bring to you. Do you know Licia Betor, Lori Moise or Davis Zachary at Real Hope For Haiti in Cazale?
I am vice president of Fondation Lucienne Deschamps in Haiti a non profit foundation. We would like to honor Dr. Coffee for her work in Haiti on friday december 10th at 6 pm at the Karibe Hotel at our annual award ceremony. We would like a confirmation that she will be able to attend to receive her award.
Hi Megan
I come from Dominican Republic, and just few minutes ago, I have watched a CNN reports, about your incredible work in Haiti.
I have worked for years in the health field, and I do not understand the lack of medicines for this country after a lot of donations from my country.
I am very impressed with your efforts and I want to donate money, supplies and drugs.
If you can, please email me, I will be very honored contacting you.
God Bless You
Ada
I need Dr. Megan Coffe phone number in Haiti. We just saw her through CNN en español in Ecuador and whish to make a donation on behalf of several people
God Bless You Megan. You are an angel to this people
Please advise
Hi, I can’t understand how to add your site in my rss reader. Can you Help me, please
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