In the summer of 2010, the demand for the services offered by Univers Medical Center (UMC) increased beyond what could be provided by the two staff general physicians, the medical support staff and the 5 ½ day 45 hours-per-week that the clinic was open. The growing demand for UMC’s medical services was attributed to: 1) the influx of “refugees” from the January 12 earthquake in Port-au-Prince, 2) the growing community recognition of the high-quality services provided by UMC’s staff, and 3) declining popularity of the small government-run hospital in Ouanaminthe as a place to go for medical services.

In October, 2010, Univers Medical Center Director Hugues Bastien responded to community requests and service needs by expanding clinic service hours to 24 hours per day and 7 days per week. The clinic became a 24/7 “urgent care clinic” having a physician always on duty and providing overnight residential nursing care with a total of 8 hospital beds available. The physicians on staff were increased from two to four, and the total staff consisted of 35 professional and support persons by mid-2011.

• Dr. Claude Joazard, GP  (on staff with UMC since the beginning---July 2008)

• Dr. Nadège Joazard, GP (wife of Claude)

• Dr. Hervé Junior Calixte (OB/GYN)

• Dr. Sabin Lamah (surgeon)  He is originally from Guinea in West Africa, then went to Cuba to get his medical degree, on a Guinean scholarship.  His government changed while he was in Cuba, and was asked to return home.  He found the political environment too risky to go back, so he stayed in Cuba.  Cuba then gave him a grant to study surgery.  Then, he worked in Cuba for six years as a GP and surgeon.  He has been released by the Cuban government with no further obligation to them.  So he is in Haiti now.  He has agreed to serve first as a GP for UMC and then do surgeries with local anesthesia when needed.  (Univers Medical Center does not have an anesthetist.)

Since Sabin, Claude, and Nadège all received their training in Spanish speaking countries, they are very fluent in Spanish.  Sabin’s French (from French-speaking Guinea) is perfect, and his English is pretty good. Of course, the local language is Creole and some French. In the past year, UMC has been experiencing about 1350 patient-doctor consultations per month. One interesting statistic is that 20 babies have been delivered in the clinic in the past two years. So, it is becoming popular as a birthing center, which is much better than the Haitian custom of birthing babies at home.

The clinic also has a full-time Haitian dentist and a part-time Haitian optometrist.