Power to the People

How do you keep a clinic running in Haiti?  Sometimes with old fashioned Haitian ingenuity.   This morning is a case in point.  It started badly, for instead of being greeted with a cup of hot coffee, there was only a message from our administrator - the generator wouldn't start.  I knew instantly that this could be a serious problem.  How so?  First, if it was a simple problem, they would have already fixed it.  Secondly, anything that delays morning coffee is serious.

Dr. Betsy's dental hose put to better use.



We walked out to the generator, hoping the problem was just the starter battery.  But it was able to crank the engine into starting, where upon we we discovered the issue - fuel was dripping from a hose..  Calling a mechanic was an option of course, but it would be a week from Christmas before he got here. 

We had to try to fix it.  I hoped that maybe we could loosen the clamps and just re-secure the hose.  Sure enough, when we started the engine again the fuel was no longer driping - now it was gushing.  Panic.  What to do?  We scoured the clinic looking for a piece of hose..  Killy found some catheters - too small.  Then I remembered the dental compressor.  Surely Dr. Betsy wouldn't miss a 2 inch piece of hose coming from the compressor.  Should I call her and ask permission?  Of course not.  With two snips the hose is harvested and it's back to the generator.  Looks too small we all thought.  But Micheal, our security guard, knew better.  With a lot of pushing and shoving the hose was forced over the fuel line.  Half-hour later, we're all smelling like diesel fuel, but we're done.  The generator cranks, runs, leak is gone. 

Of course, there are alsways side effects.  Every bite of breakfast smells like diesel fuel and what will happen when Dr. Betsy finds out.  But these concerns melt away with a cup of coffee.