KELSEYVILLE — The Lake County doctor who led a medical team in Haiti in December gave a gripping presentation on Thursday night at the Saw Shop Gallery Bistro in Kelseyville to a standing-room-only crowd of more than 80 attendees.
Dr. Paula Dhanda and the medical team provided desperately needed medical care to the people of Haiti. The team consisted of four physicians, a nurse practitioner, three nurses and a medical assistant. They formed a partnership with Haitian health care workers as well as international doctors, nurses, pharmacists, emergency medical technicians and physical therapists at Project Medishare, the only critical care hospital in the country.
Dhanda said a past medical mission to Tchad completely changed her life and she felt compelled to help in Haiti, where a year after the earthquake about a million people are displaced and still living in tents.
“It”s hard to leave because you never feel like you”re done,” she said.
During the two-week mission the team worked long hours performing about 50 surgeries, caring for babies and children in intensive care, and seeing hundreds of patients in the clinic. Dhanda even delivered a baby.
“An important part of our mission is to provide training to the local staff but we really all learned from each other,” Dhanda said. Conditions were primitive and the need was overwhelming. Patients who couldn”t walk or were obviously dying were seen. Others were given what medicine was available and oral re-hydration fluids. Patients were brought in by pick up trucks and medical instruments were piled into stainless steel bowls. Families slept on floors, steps, outside and under beds.
During its stay the medical team was protected by armed guards outside sleeping quarters and at the hospital gates. For their safety they were advised not to leave the hospital compound.
“Healers put up with bad food and cold showers,” Dhanda said. “The living conditions were luxurious compared to the Haitians. At least we had food.”
Dhanda described a photo of a mother with her ill toddler. She took a deep breath and began to wipe tears from her eyes.
“I thought the mom was trying to say she needed transportation. What she was trying to do was give me her baby,” she said. Dhanda pointed to the photo. “You can see how much she loves her baby and the baby loves her.”
Medical Assistant Carol Stahr said the mission made her realize that she is capable of doing pretty much anything. “I”m stronger than I thought,” she said. Stahr gave comfort and care to a man in his 20s as he lay dying. “His name was Jackson,” she said, as her voice broke, “the same name as my youngest son. The mission makes me realize that I know I”m in this field for the right reasons.”
H. Vernetta Johnson, M.D. said, “Everyone can serve in some way. My goal when I retire is to do this with my life. There”s nothing more rewarding than giving.”
The volunteers paid for travel, vaccinations, prophylactic medications for malaria and donated to Project Medishare to cover the cost of food and housing. Other urgently needed medical supplies that were donated included morphine, antibiotics and surgical supplies, including sutures, surgical packs and gloves.
The medical team included Paula R. Dhanda, MD; H. Vernetta Johnson, MD; Surin Srikureja, DO; Brian Truong, MD; Lucretia Sonderer, FNP; Perla Lovejoy, RN; Judith Dawson, RN; Christine Hansom, RN and Carol Stahr, MA.
“Dr. Dhanda is a very inspirational woman,” Tonya George, Dhanda”s patient coordinator, said. “There should be more doctors like her. She simply has the desire to help everybody. She listens to everybody.”
“The wonderful work she”s doing outside of our country, she”s doing it here in the county, too,” Amber Warner said as she introduced Dhanda.
At the end of the evening, an elementary school-aged boy named Carson was introduced. He gave all the money he had to the cause — $100.
In order to help fund future needed medical aid trips such as the one to Haiti, Dhanda created a personal skin care line offering free skin consultations along with highly-effective product solutions to common problems such as wrinkles, acne, dry skin and fine lines with 100 percent of all sales profits go to fund future mission work.
“You”re beautiful skin helps our healing hands,” Dhanda said.
For more information call 279-8733 or visit her blog www.drpauladhanda.com.
