Montalais- medical clinic-2010 

  Montalais is literally a village at the top of a red colored mountain.  It is beautiful, with lush tropical trees, morning mist, and fertile red soil.   The views are spectacular and the climate is warm to cool. The village is an additional 4-5 hour hike high into the mountains above Mahotiere.  After our long, steep hike in the hot sun, we found this village was also accessible by vehicle, and were grateful to be able to ride back down a few days later.  The villagers along the route had worked hard over the past year to carve the road out of the mountain for Friends of Haiti, to make it easier for us to bring our medical clinic to them.

  The village leader in Montalais was extremely welcoming and helpful.  Men were busy in the church stringing wire for lights, women were boiling water for us to drink and cooking us a meal.  It seemed the whole village had come out to welcome us.  During clinic, the people gather near the church, talking cooking and sitting in the shade if possible. There is a large green area near the church where the children can play.

  There was a new roof on the church, and this is where we set up clinic and our bug huts for sleeping.  The pharmacy and provider stations were set up in the altar area.

At times, every bench was full of patients waiting to be seen.  Living this high in the mountains, they have no local access to health care.  Imagine being sick or injured, and having to walk, ride a horse, or be carried down a steep trail for hours and hours for help. 

  Here we frequently treated patients for scabies, worms, anemia, and malnourishment, treating 511 patients.