What a tremendous gift of life from USAID!

Today, September 17 at 11am, Dr Augustin and Fr Rick received a delegation from the US Embassy and the Haitian Ministry of Health,

who came to present to St Luke Hospital 6 high quality ventilators, and 5 of the same for St Damien Hospital.

Because of the COVID 19 restrictions, and because we have current COVID 19 cases at St Luke Hospital, there were restrictions on how the ceremony could be carried out.

There were only ten seats, eight for the two delegations and one each for Dr Augustin and Fr Rick. Masks were, of course, required, 

and the chairs were spaced six feet apart from each other.

There were no refreshments offered. 

There were three brief speeches, and then the presentation of the magnificent ventilators.

The ventilators are very expensive and high quality, representing a huge benefit to the two hospitals.

Here is the text of Fr Rick's brief speech to welcome this wonderful donation.

"Throughout the United States, the slogan "I can't breath" has become a cry for change in the face of violence and unfairness, which both figuratively and literally can take your breath away.

On an even larger scale, Illness can also be pretty brutal, and lack of access to healthcare is very unjust. 

Think even of COVID-19 as a recent example of an illness that causes death by a terrible hunger for air.

To the contrary, "I can breath!" becomes the shout of gratitude of those whose life can be saved by mechanical ventilation, and in fact find a ventilator available for them in the hospital.

I hope that the Haitian Ministry of Health, and the generous people of the United States of America, represented by USAID, can hear the huge shout of gratitude from the St Damien and St Luke teams, for your tremendous gift of life !

This is a great day, especially for the sickest of the sick and the poorest of the poor in our hospitals, and we thank you most sincerely.

Fr Richard Fréchette