Most of the population in the catchment area of St. Jules clinic lives up steep mountain trails a 4-6 hour walk from the clinic. Greg and Betsy knew from experience that many traumatic injuries need immediate care or the patient may not survive. Armed with a determination to find a better way  they decided to teach a First Aid Responder Course.

 

Each of the 8 chapels in the parish selected representatives to send to Betsy and Greg's classes. The enthusiastic locals attended daily classes for a week and took furious notes and performed role-playing to reinforce what they were learning. Some of the techniques learned were basic wound care, fracture management, treating shock and assessing vital signs. Also discussed were HIV and STDs which are very misunderstood in their culture and often attributed to Voodoo.

 

At the end of the week each participant was provided with a bag of medical supplies to be used in their new roles. Betsy and Greg continue to teach and empower their first responders with new information on every trip they take to Haiti.