MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: DR. PHILIP PRATER
IN THE MIDST OF TURMOIL, CHRISTIAN VETERINARY MISSIONS, MOREHEAD STATE AND LOCAL BUSINESSES PROVIDE SERVICE TO ANIMALS IN HAITI
Morehead State’s Director of Veterinary Technology, Dr. Philip Prater, in partnership with Christian Veteri-
nary Missions, Hinton Mills and West Liberty Veterinary Clinic, spent eight days (July 4 – 11, 2021) in Haiti, providing animal health training to twenty Haitian vet- erinary technical students. Tese students were working toward their certification as Veterinary Agents in Haiti, where they will provide the bulk of veterinary medical care for companion animals, livestock, horses and poultry within the impoverished island nation. Te students are housed and trained at a facility in Des Chapelle, Haiti, called AG Horizons, a private training institute, directed by Mr. Franso Fracciterne, a gifted Haitian agricultural- ist, who oversees all of the logistics for the training ses- sions. AG Horizons provides housing, lecture facilities, and laboratories for developing the essential skills that the Veterinary Agents will need to function effectively in their specific regions of the country.
Dr. Philip Prater performing an examination of a horse in Haiti.
For over a two centuries now, the nation of Haiti has seen the most impoverished conditions of any country in the Western Hemisphere. Teir way of life is tragic. Tey were a country founded in slavery and greed. Haitians have lived in conditions that are meager and sanitation that is deplorable. In January of 2010, one of the most devas- tating earthquakes ever in this part of the world, struck the Haitian capital of Port au Prince. Over 300,000 Hai- tians died and one million became immediately homeless. Dr. Prater visited the carnage in August of 2010 to help folks try to build back some small huts for shelter in a small rural community to offset the utter devastation of their lives. Even with help from governments around the world, most Haitians never saw any meaningful help be- cause of the rampant political abuse that plagues Haiti. It is difficult to know exactly how these living situations can get in such a mess, but politically corrupt leaders are usually at the heart of most Haitian problems. Tere are few government social agencies in Haiti that can provide programs for hunger and poverty relief. Most all Haitian families depend greatly on their poultry and livestock just to survive and feed their families. Te training mission of Dr. Prater and the primary instructor, Dr. Lee Ann Berglund-Fosdick, from Michigan, was critical to develop the knowledge and clinical skills that the Veterinary Agents will need keep Haiti’s animals healthy and productive. Te team also included Ms. Emma Ford, a senior veterinary student from Mississippi State University, who provided abundant knowledge and energy to the team and Mr. Rosias Exil, who provided fluent and tireless translation for all of our lectures and lab sessions.
Livestock is crucial for many Hatian families to survive. 12 KVMA News Continued on pg. 12
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52
