CALGARY — While most Albertans were enjoying the last days of summer heat, one Calgary man was on a mission, hoping to put his nursing skills to good use.
Andrew Nguyen was making his way to Haiti, where a 7.2 magnitude earthquake had toppled buildings and caused severe damage across Haiti’s southern peninsula on Aug. 14.
Nguyen, who studied nursing at Mount Royal University, says he started his healthcare career in order to help with disaster relief and immediate medical relief.
When a colleague in Michigan contacted him about volunteering with Heartbeat Mission, he jumped at the chance to help.
“We set up a mobile medical clinic where we saw patients flooding in, and this was all through word of mouth, flooding into our little clinic so we could treat and triage them and anyone who needed significant help, we would send them to the larger city, Lakhai, where they had field hospitals.”
The small team of just seven people were able to help close to 300 patients over the week they were there.
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Even though he knew he wanted to help, Nguyen still struggled with his task when he saw the resources at the first hospital he stopped at.
“Maybe it’s just I haven’t seen it before, but they don’t have any hospital beds and everyone’s just kind of lying on a mat,” said Nguyen.
“Just packed and packed like I couldn’t believe, no healthcare staff tending to all of these patients, very limited support for that, and just three, four toddlers lying on a mat, and all needing help.”
He says his initial shock, comparing his experiences with the medical resources in Canada, inhibited his immediate response to provide care.
“I had to really slowly step in and have the guidance of more experienced folks and teams helping me through, showing me how to help in these kinds of environments.”
And there was added danger for the team after political disaster shook the country just a month prior.
Haiti’s leader, Jovenel Moïse, was assassinated on July 7.
“What we were hearing was that after the assassination of the president, gang activity has been at its highest level, and with previous incidences even before we got there, reporting of gangs targeting some of these healthcare professionals and, you know, safety was more of a concern in that regard.”
Despite the challenges – both internal and external – Nguyen says he still hopes to do more.
“Once I got back to Calgary, my mind was here, but my heart is in Haiti, and I wish I could have some more time to go and provide further assistance.”
