Jacob Chery - Update - March 18, 2015

Jacob had a good day yesterday in the hospital. He was taking in the formula, his body was digesting the F-75 formula and he looked more alert. Today was not a good day for him. He had diarrhea and his body was getting dehydrated. The doctors are taking him off the formula and trying to stabilize him again through iv. Jacob is so fragile. These 2 pictures are what I took yesterday. I didn't take a photo today, as I forgot my camera. General Hospital, which is a state hospital... in the downtown area has been on strike for 2 weeks. Medical personnel are on strike. 2 weeks ago a surgery was done on a child's face. The child died and the parents filed a complaint and legal proceedings. The medical director of the hospital has suspended the resident until the proceedings are dealt with. The other medical personnel in the hospital are angry over this move and as a result the hospital is non-functioning. We are going to visit the hospital tomorrow to see if there are people that can be helped by the Broken Earth team from Canada that are coming to Bernard Mevs Hospital on the weekend. Throughout the 2 weeks of strikes, the other state hospital, Hopital La Paix, which is where Jacob has been hospitalized has been functioning normally. When we went there today we saw signs of discontent at that hospital too. The maternity section is on strike. Jacob's family told us that last night a woman who was hemorraging came to the hospital and she died along with her unborn baby. Medical staff were distressed about losing her and have gone on strike protesting for better working conditions and demanding a change in the maternity department. This strike action at both state hospitals means that the Chancerelle maternity hospital is the only state run maternity hospital functioning in the city. We saw signs posted in the lobby of Hopital La Paix about the strike and demands the staff is making. I talked with a couple of the security guards at the hospital and as of now the rest of the hospital is still functioning normally. We are monitoring the situation at Hopital La Paix. If the entire hospital takes part in the strike we will have to remove Jacob and find another hospital to care for him. Please keep Jacob in prayer and the medical personnel working at Hopital La Paix in prayer as well. Pray for the strike situation at the hospitals. People will be dying without being able to receive medical care. The poor have no other options. They can not go to other hospitals as the families don't have funds to pay for the medical care. This is a serious situation in Port-au-Prince right now.