In December 2021, veterinarian Dr. Patricia Lyon, DVM was seconded to HAFF from Christian Veterinary Mission (CVM). Patricia has many skills beyond her training as a veterinarian which she will be sharing with the people served by HAFF. While she learns Creole, she is already helping in a number of areas, including record keeping and ordering of supplies at the medical clinic, offering labs and demonstrations for students with the IPB science teachers, and reconciling the field bookkeeping.
One way she’ll be using her veterinary skills is to work closely with the local veterinary agents and support their practices as she can. She had her first chance to do this in early July.
Veterinary Agents Telius Berson and Millius Hilaire with Patricia in 2019
Tuesday, July 5th, was the first CVM-HAFF deworming clinic in many years. It was the first which Patricia organized and provided medication for! The HAFF staff and 5 local veterinary agents lead by Millius met before the clinic for coffee, bread and briefing for the day. This first clinic was held in the local Bohoc-LaJeune area and ran from about 8 am to 3 pm with a brief break for lunch.
The animal patients patiently waited for the many owners to register their various animals and pay for dewormer and vitamin B shots if desired or rabies vaccine for dogs and cats.
At the sign-in table were Annexe (Patricia’s language helper), HAFF EC members Verona, and Estephene and Carla off and on.
At the medication table were Colin, Bob, and Patricia.
Patricia reports, “Praise God!! We had a successful clinic where we treated about 240 animals, including bulls, cows, and calves,
horses, donkeys, and mules,
goats,
pigs,
dogs, and cats."
The plan is to hold other clinics like this in 4 other areas served by HAFF’s community ag agent Millius. We will then return to these same areas every six months for regular follow up. Please pray for our next clinic in the mountains on August 19.