Comments on: Dr. Farmer's Remedy For World Health

Byron Pitts Meets A Man Who Dedicates His Life To Bringing Healthcare To The Poor

[sliberman1]

What a wonderful story. Dr. Farmer''s quote, that "everyone should have health-care" moved me to tears. I am a 64 year-old hard working American citizen, and have been priced out of health insurance by companies and the state. Maybe I should move to Haiti!

[wjwarrenca]

Why would anyone as smart as Paul Farmer drive without wearing his seatbelt or making his passenger wear his seat belt as you showed on tonight''s broadcast?

[The Rock107]

Dr. Farmer''s work is a ray of sunshine in a pretty bleak world.

Call me cold hearted but I think his program should include a sterilization program. The 45 year old woman with eleven kids with complications during her delivery infuriated me. No reason on God''s green earth for anyone much less an impoverished person to have that many children.

[sliberman1]

What a wonderful story. Dr. Farmer''s quote, that "everyone should have health-care" moved me to tears. I am a 64 year-old hard working American citizen, and have been priced out of health insurance by companies and the state. Maybe I should move to Haiti!

[ladyharley05]

I think this is bunk! He should be doing this in the United States of AMERICA! He''s turning his back on his own!

[The Rock107]

Dr. Pitts work is a ray of sunshine in a pretty bleak world.

Call me cold hearted but I think his program should include a sterilization program. The 45 year old woman with eleven kids with complications during her delivery infuriated me. No reason on God''s green earth for anyone much less an impoverished person to have that many children.

[laura1250]

I was most impassioned by the story about Dr. Farmer''s "Partners in Health" program. As a 57-year old retiree (broadcast journalist and public affairs consultant), married to an retinal surgeon in California, I will become an empty nester next fall when my 18-year old daughter leaves for college. I would love to have the opportunity to personally assist Dr. Farmer and his associates in their mission of providing life-saving health care and helping to extend the quality of life for so many people in world communities that are denied or do not have access to the care that my family and I take for granted. I applaud Dr. Farmer''s efforts and thank CBS for sharing his story.

[js11411]

Kudos to CBS for getting the word out about this amazing organization. As great as the piece was, it is truly a "sound byte" when you know about the depth and scope of all their work. For example they didn''t get into some of the reasons WHY some of the people are "squatters"...many were forced from their own land by a huge hydro dam built to provide electricity to wealthier people in the capital. I encourage anyone who saw this piece and was inspired, to dig around a bit on the PIH website, where you can link to loads more info and inspiration. Another good place to learn is the book "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder, which tells the story of how PIH came to be. There are many ways to get involved. Spread the word :) btw...he was speaking kreyol, not french.

[lengelha1]

I went to the Central Plateau in Haiti in 2007 on a missions trip with my church. The roads were deeply rutted with two to three feet ruts. Very easy for the cattle truck we traveled in to overturn. A daily occurence. The people were wonderful. The food was delicious. Their faith was evident and tangible. We went to that hospital in Cange. There was nowhere to wash our hands to eat lunch. In a hospital!! Very different standards.
Dr. farmer''s book "Mountains Beyond Mountains" is very much worth reading. He is making a real difference in the lives of the people of Haiti. So is The Hatian American Friendship Foundation making a huge impact on the students of Bohac and the surrounding area. We brought medicine, clothes, shoes, money, notebooks, craft supplies etc. in our luggage. It is an amazing place, full of hardships and hope.

[ambebb05]

The poor woman featured in this story was bearing her 11th (or 12th?) child. Her tragic situation, like those of millions of other women in impoverished countries, could have easily been prevented. It''s called "birth control".

[jaim3-2009]

THANKS CBS for airing programming like this. It is uplifting and inspiring. It helps to see the world in a different light than is usually presented in a news program. Please keep it up, and hope all the others follow suit. There is such a power in media to do good.

[bluegenes1]

What the world needs is more Doctors like Dr. Farmer! They practice from their hearts and not from their pockits.God has a place for them!

Paul Farmer is showing us the way to better universal health with one serious omission %u2014 Birth control! Not one question about women''s health when multiply births are reducing a woman''s chance of survival and nurturing a healthy family.

Paul Farmer is showing us the way to better universal health with one serious omission %u2014 Birth control! Not one question about women''s health when multiply births are reducing a woman''s chance of survival and nurturing a healthy family.

[barrettcjb]

If St. Peter does not allow physicians like Dr. Farmer and Dr. Walton through the gates of heaven, we are all sunk.

J.B. Barrett
North Olmsted, Ohio

[elizabeth513]

Byron Pitts did an AMAZING job bringing us this story. Kudos to CBS for airing Paul Farmer''s remarkable story. He is a great example of who we should all aspire to be.

[elizabeth513]

Byron Pitts did an AMAZING job bringing us this story. Kudos to CBS for airing Paul Farmer''s remarkable story. He is a great example of who we should all aspire to be.

[ckb65]

My hat goes off to Dr. Paul and his work with the Haitian people. I would like to say to watch23 that the culture of the people are much different than ours and that was shown in the presentation. I think the article about the hospital was wonderful. Thank you for showing something good happening in the country.

[excoachken]

I just watched this story and was also very moved by the guy''s altruism and dedication. I was humbled to think of how little I had really accomplished in my 40 years of teaching high school. And then, there was a commercial break, and a man of similiar age was telling me just how much I missed in life if I didn''t own a Cadillac Escalade with all the options, like he was driving. Only in America, could I recover from my self-assigned guilt trip so quickly.

[thebeb2]

I think what Dr Farmer is doing is wonderful. My only question is that after 25 yr in Haiti, where most mothers/children die in childbirth, why doesn''t he offer to tie their tubes after say 4 kids. 11 children for uneducated people with no hope of raising them to be productive individuals able to care for themselves....and the parents can''t even care for them to guarantee they will live to be adults.
Maybe if each family had only one or two children, they could have extra money, energy, time ..etc...to provide a decent life for themselves and the few children they do have.
Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you provide him with fish for life.