Help Premature Babies survive in Haitian NICU

The neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is an important part of our organization. We are well known for having around the clock care for all the babies and mothers that need help. During this period of isolation things in Haiti have changed. The first two of cases of Codvid-19 in Haiti were detected on March 19, 2020. Since then the Haitian government has declared a State of Emergency. The government published a decree that mandated the following rules and safety precautions to everyone in the territory. The rules are:

1. Curfew from 5 am to 8 pm
2. Wear a mask in public places
3. No gatherings of more then 10 people
4. Closing of schools, universities, factories and places of worship
5. It is mandatory to stay 6 feet apart from one another
6. Airports and ports are to be closed except for the transport of goods
7. Suspension on all of the commercial passenger flights

Up to this date the Ministry of Health in Haiti (MSPP) has been publishing the numbers of confirmed cases of Covid-19. We have a total of 4,309 confirmed cases.

We are working together to keep each other safe. We at GLA have been in isolation for three months. Our executive director made sure that all of the employees attended an informative seminar about Codvid-19. It was a success. All of the employees got the chance to participate and learn about the new lifestyle habits while living during a pandemic. They even learn how to make mask out of 2 sheets of paper towels.

During this time we also made sure to do some repairs in our NICU. We want it to exceed national standards and to ensure all of the advanced technology is working well. Some of our NICU equipment includes:

• Heart monitor: to display the baby’s heart and breathing rates and patterns
• Blood Pressure Monitor: to periodically monitor the blood pressure of the baby
• Pulse Oximeter: to measure the amount of oxygen in the baby’s blood
• Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP): to push a continuous flow of air to the airways to help keep tiny air passages in the lungs open
• Respirator: to help babies who can't breathe on their own or who need help taking bigger breath

We had a technician come and do maintenance on all of the machines. The incubators and oxygen concentrators needed a few repairs. Apart from having a professional staff working at the NICU and having important guidelines and protocols, preventative maintenance is also a key to running a great NICU.

Websites used: www.loophaiti.com, www.information.tv5monde.com, www.reliefweb.int, www.htambafrance.org, www.positivis.org, www.who.int https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?contenttypeid=90&contentid=P02358#:~:text=Continuous%20positive%20airway%20pressure%20(CPAP,given%20through%20an%20ET%20tube.

Links:

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