February 24 - 26, 2010

Time goes by quickly under these conditions. I’ve been in Leogane for about two weeks now, and time has come for me to leave. An orthopaedic surgeon arrived on the 24th to take over my duties. The list of patients and their treatment plans was up-to-date, and the transition has gone smoothly with one last round scheduled with my patients right before my departure. It’s very emotional for me to leave my patients behind because we have built close relationships based on blinded trust. Saying goodbye was difficult... I won’t get the satisfaction of seeing the Traction Ward patients walk again. My successor probably will...

We have been able to organize a few interventions for pastients who needed internal fixations. As for myself, my departure was scheduled for the afternoon. There’s a two-hour drive to the HQ of MSF-Switzerland in Port-au-Prince, and from there we waited for our flight to Santo Domingo before going back to Europe. I’ve taken advantage of those two days in Port-au-Prince to visit the local MSF infrastructures. I was able to meet with several of my counterparts in various hospitals of the city: Lycée, Cité-Soleil and Mickey. It’s been rewarding to discuss our shared experiences and impressions of the situation.

A hefty earthquake that waked up the entire household marked my last night in Port-au-Prince... After that, few of us were able to go back to sleep. I experienced two aftershocks while I was in Leogane, but we were inside tents that didn’t risk to fall down on us. In Port-au-Prince, each aftershock was felt more dramatically in buildings that still were a threat to their occupants.

The following afternoon, an MSF flight took me to Santo Domingo where I spent another night in a hotel with nothing planned other than resting and debriefing. I finally reached the old continent on the 26th of February...