Lavanche Octabe is a 36-year-old man who lives in Pont Morel. He spends his days working hard in the fields as a farmer. YourStory advocates approached him at his home and, after speaking with him, they decided to give him an appointment to come to the clinic the next day. When Lavanche arrived at the clinic, he was greeted at the door by friendly advocates. While he waited for his appointment, more advocates took his vitals and spoke to him about his symptoms. Lavanche mentioned he had a cough that caused him to feel pain all over his body. He also said he had fevers, headaches, and his skin was itchy.
When Lavanche was brought into a an exam room, advocates were ready to ask him more questions and determine the appropriate diagnosis. Steven, a YSI advocate and an EMT, checked his lungs for irregular sounds. Although his lungs sounded rather clear, Lavanche was coughing up phlegm, an indication of probable illness. Dr. Tony came into the exam room and diagnosed him with an upper respiratory infection. He prescribed Lavanche cough syrup, acetaminophen, amoxicillin, iron supplements, vitamin C, and calamine lotion. Lavanche got all of his prescriptions filled for free by Sonya, one of our Haitian nurses. To wrap-up his appointment, he visited the public health education room and received critical information on illness prevention and long-term changes he can make to improve his overall health and wellness. Lots of rest, plenty of water, and the medication, Lavanche was told, would have him feeling better in a week.