My copy of the Haitian Health Foundation Newsletter arrived just the other day. (I made a donation and it was sent with the thank you note.) Reading it reminded me how much Americans take for granted. The front page talks about the HHF Ambulance and how many lives have been saved by its presence and personnel. The ambulance is a four-wheel drive Toyota Land Cruiser which is completely amphibious and can cross streams to travel to remote mountain villages. The ambulance’s focus is to evacuate pregnant women out of the rural villages – when they are having a troubled, life-threatening labor. Since 2006, it has transported 587 women and has an annual operating budget of $25,000. The article points out that “it is the only vehicle that is available to mountain villagers, some of whom are an 18 hour walk away.”
Imagine being in a troubled labor — or just sick — and having to walk for 18 hours to receive care. I am again reminded of how very very lucky we Americans are. Newsletter
