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What's Happening at the Clinic
New Clinic Wing A new wing is being
added to the rear of St. Joseph clinic to accommodate the needs of patients who have to stay at the clinic overnight.
Until now, we have not had facilities for patients who need extended recovery time. The 56' by 32' wing will accommodate
up to 20 patients and a family member. (Family members normally accompany patients to prepare their meals and attend
to their non-medical needs during recuperation.)  Ground was broken and the foundation for the wing was poured in June (2009), prior to the onset of the heavy rainy season.
Further construction was halted until the end of the rainy season (November). Work was resumed in February 2010, and
is slated for completion in April. The interior of the wing will be an open design, with movable walls that will allow
for various configurations depending on the composition of the patient population at different times. Water Purification Project Expands
Preliminary
results of a pilot home-based water purification study indicated that the two systems tested were effective, solar disinfection
and granulated chlorine. Even as the data from that study are more fully analyzed, work proceeded to expand the use
of solar disinfection in 60 additional houses in eastern Thomassique. Two students from Duke University spent the summer
promoting the use of solar disinfection and educating residents in the proper use of system. They also worked with the directors
of eight schools in Thomassique to introduce hygiene programs that include water purification, hand washing, and the use of
latrines. That required the construction of new latrines at four of the schools.  With a grant from the Gerard Health Foundation, Medical Missionaries will be expanding the use of water purification
in Thomassique and its surrounding villages, installing this Klorfasil water system in 3,500 households in 2010. The
system uses granulated chlorine and purifies 5 gallons of water from any source within 30 minutes. Our water purification
program will include education on the importance of using purified water for drinking, hand washing, and washing dishes, as
well as instruction on how to use the system properly to avoid re-contamination of water once it is purified. Radio
talk shows and public service ads will form part of the marketing campaign, along with banners, posters, and a kiosk in the
weekly markets in Thomassique.
Salt Project Launches Medical Missionaries is partnering with the University of Notre Dame Haiti
Program to help the people of Thomassique eliminate two health problems in the region. Lymphatic Filariasis is a parasitic disease that causes disfiguring conditions
of the legs and genitalia and often becomes debilitating. Iodine deficiency limits the development of the
brains of children and, in some cases of both children and adults, causes goiter, cretinism, and other serious health problems.
The University of Notre Dame, working with the Haitian Ministry of Health and Population and the
U.S. Centers for Disease Control, fortifies salt with DEC (diethylcarbamazine) and iodine without changing the taste or other
characteristics of salt. Salt fortified with DEC is an effective way to interrupt the transmission of LF,
while salt fortified with iodine promotes brain development in children. The co-fortified salt addresses these diseases
in tandem. Learn more about the launch of this project in a blog from our Medical Missionaries Global Health Fellows. Maintaining Clinic Facilities A
small team of Medical Missionaries volunteers visited the clinic in September to perform maintenance on several of the clinic's
infrastructure systems, including water, electricity, and the generator. See a visual report from that visit. Another facilities team visited the clinic in February 2010 with the primary goal of strengthening
the water tower and repairing some underground drainage pipes. 
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