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After 30 hours of painful labor, a 16-year-old mother-to-be was in urgent need of immediate medical assistance – but her remote village was located one hour away from the nearest hospital. With each passing minute, the danger grew. Fortunately, her family was able to call an ambulance, purchased earlier in the month by the Haitian Health Foundation with the help of crucial funding from AmeriCares.When the ambulance arrived, the young woman was put on IV antibiotics and rushed to the hospital just in time. Although her baby boy was not breathing at birth, the doctor managed to revive him. The newborn was placed in pediatric care, and eight days later, the new mother and her baby boy were able to return home, safe and healthy.In the first six months since the vehicle was purchased in April, 2011, the Haitian Health Foundation estimates that the ambulance has saved the lives of more than 70 expectant mothers. Each day, emergency workers use the vehicle to provide crucial services to women in labor—rushing them from rural areas to Haitian health care facilities or the government hospital in Jeremie, and ensuring the safe delivery of babies.“At least half the women and children who received our services would have had tragic outcomes if not for the ambulance,” said Jeremiah Lowney, president of the Haitian Health Foundation. “Their lives were saved because they quickly received proper medical care.”
Photo courtesy of Haitian Health FoundationThe ambulance project is just one of the ways AmeriCares Haiti is restoring health services in the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake. Our in-country team continues to expand programming, focusing on initiatives that fill urgent health care gaps, strengthen the overall healthcare system, and meet the needs of the country’s most vulnerable populations, especially mothers and children.Every step of the way, we collaborate closely with our partners in Haiti to ensure we are delivering the right aid to the right people at the right time. Read MoreDonate Now