On May 16th, a woman in the village of Limonade reached out to Konbit via social media in search of medical assistance.

She said that she had not been feeling well for several days and provided a list of her symptoms (some of which included abdominal pain, swollen feet, headache and sore throat). Her pain and symptoms were intensifying, and she did not have the means to travel to a hospital.

We immediately reached out to our Haiti team director, Dr. Junior Myrtil to ask for his guidance.

Dr. Myrtil has volunteered his time and provided support to Konbit’s work since its founding in 2006. He directs our team of Ajan Sante in Haiti and organizes/operates our rural clinic events with other local physicians. Beyond his dedication to Konbit’s mission, he is a very involved physician and surgeon. He is the Director for the State Clinic in Limonad, where he leads a medical team in an underfunded, understaffed, and stressful environment. He is also a very respected senior surgeon at Justinian, the leading hospital in Cap Haitian, and at the hospital in Katye Moren. And, if that list of accomplishments and involvement weren’t long enough, he is also in private practice as a gynecologist and obstetrician.

With all that said, he still managed the time and attention to promptly address this concerned and ailing local citizen. He provided her with his direct phone number, made room in his schedule to perform an initial exam, and then provided support for further testing at a nearby hospital.   We are grateful for our association with Dr. Myrtil, and even after 20 years, we are invigorated and inspired by his steadfast commitment to his community.

Now more than ever, we are incredibly proud to be part of this work and appreciate the continued support of our loyal and engaged donors.

Stay tuned for upcoming news on our next rural clinic events, scheduled for late summer.  Thank you for helping Konbit to continue its mission to provide health services, resources and education in Haiti! We truly could not do this without you!