After nearly a week in earthquake-ravaged Port-au-Prince, Haiti, six pediatric residents from Johns Hopkins Children’s Center have returned, sharing their stories and requesting support to help the Haitian people recover from the countless crush injuries, burns and infections they witnessed while on this medical mission.

Led by Hopkins Children’s emergency medicine physician, Karen Schneider, M.D., the residents — or medical doctors training in pediatrics — were already planning a trip to Haiti when the 7.0 earthquake hit. Four times a year, since 1999, Dr. Schneider takes a group of pediatric residents to developing countries as part of a tropical medicine elective in the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine’s pediatric residency program.

Their trip was delayed by a few days. However, the group persisted in finding transportation, finally landed in Port-au-Prince at 2 am on Saturday, January 16, and immediately set to work on the countless injured and dying patients coming into the UN compound hospital adjacent to the airport. Dr. Schneider, who is also a sister with the Sisters of Mercy, is still in Port-au-Prince. The tropical medicine elective is conducted in partnership with the Sisters of Mercy.

The group faced no shortage of patients, while medical supplies and equipment trickled in. Dr. Schneider and her team treated hundreds of patients with limited antibiotics and pain medications. No operating rooms were available the first few days after their arrival to handle the crush injuries and life-saving amputations, done without anesthesia. After two nights with little sleep, Dr. Schneider said the elective’s name should be changed from tropical medicine to “disaster medicine.” Others described the scene as “Civil War” medicine. Conditions improved slightly as more supplies arrived, but the residents stressed that much more is needed to treat the multitude of injuries and infections. 

“Our hope is that our account will inspire people to help,” said  Delphine Robotham, M.D. We are better doctors and better human beings after this trip. The lessons we learned go beyond medicine, from all the people we met in Haiti, from the patients we saved and those we couldn’t, and from the selfless incredible fellow doctors, nurses and aides on the ground.”

Photos courtesy of University of Miami

Karen Schneider, M.D. (Still in Haiti)

In addition to being a pediatric emergency medicine physician and the leader of this group, Schneider is a sister with the Sisters of Mercy, an international organization devoted to improving the lives of women and children in developing countries. She attended medical school at SUNY Brooklyn, completed a pediatric residency at Yale Children’s Hospital and finished her fellowship in pediatric emergency medicine at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.

Letitia Dzirasa, M.D. (Returned 01/21) 

Dr. Dzirasa is a third-year resident in pediatrics at Hopkins Children’s. She received her medical degree from Meharry Medical College.

Rana Hamdy, M.D. M.P.H. (Returned 01/19)

Dr. Hamdy is a third-year pediatrics resident at Hopkins Children’s. She received her M.D. from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine

Elizabeth Quaal Hines, M.D. (Returned 01/21)

Dr. Quaal Hines is a second-year resident in pediatrics at Hopkins Children’s. She received her medical degree from Emory University.

Tina Razaiyan, M.D. (Returned 01/21)

Tina is a second-year resident in pediatrics at Hopkins Children’s. She received her M.D. from the University of Maryland.

Delphine Robotham, M.D. (Returned 01/19)

Delphine is a second-year pediatrics resident at Hopkins Children’s. She received her medical degree from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and her bachelor’s degree from the University of Rochester in New York.

Jennifer Webb, M.D. (Returned 01/19)

Jennifer is a third-year resident in pediatrics at Hopkins Children’s. She received her medical degree from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.