I’m a doctor in Haiti. Crisis may be a death sentence for many
Is Haiti’s health sector on life support or death row? A recent Miami Herald article on the challenges faced by physicians, doctors and other medical personnel in Haiti, where violence by a consortium of armed groups has forced thousands out of their homes and others to flee the capital, was optimistic in its headline: Haiti’s health sector on life support.
I would argue that the reality is closer to the sector being on death row. If nothing is done, and so far I am not seeing any clear signals of an appropriate organized response, our already weak health system in Haiti will soon be totally dismantled.
Hospitals, pharmacies and health clinics are being vandalized and burned. Medical equipment and pharmaceuticals are going up in flames. Doctors and aid workers don’t have access to replacement stocks.
Unlike after the 2010 earthquake or when hurricanes have slammed us, we are in the middle of man-made destruction where even humanitarian efforts are being sabotaged.
We have no way to run, and no way to hide. Call it whatever you want, but this crisis smells like a death sentence to hundreds of thousands of Haitians, many of whom will die due to malnutrition and starvation, communicable diseases or illnesses because they are unable to get treatment or even treated water. According to the Association of Pharmacists of Haiti, requests for medicines have increased by more than 200%, and they cannot meet the demand due to disruptions to the supply chain because of the violence.
We are talking about immediate consequences, especially for those living with chronic diseases who can’t get access to medical treatment and drugs. Everyone is trapped here.
MATERNAL CARE
As director general of the Ministry of Public Health and Population, I was on the frontlines of the response to COVID. But at heart, I am an obstetrician-gynecologist specializing in maternalfetal medicine and reproductive health, dedicating myself to helping Haitian women give birth to healthy babies who will live beyond five years.
In a country where access to maternal care has always been a struggle, it pains me to see that today it may soon become impossible.
Imagine the consequences in the fight against HIV/AIDS, which has spanned decades and cost millions of dollars in investments. We have so many challenges to keep providing treatment to those with HIV or tuberculosis. We were already behind in our fight against these infectious diseases despite the efforts of partners like the Global Fund and UNAIDS, the U.S. Agency for International Development, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), to name a few. Now they have come to a halt.
We are still in a battle against cholera, which resurfaced after nearly three years just when we thought we had eliminated it after it was introduced in 2010. Not only are all our efforts being wiped out, but we have a new situation favorable for outbreaks of the waterborne disease.
We are grateful for the support we have received and hope we will continue to receive it from our partners in delivering health services, like Doctors Without Borders. We are thankful to our valiant healthcare workers. They are examples of resilience and resistance with almost nothing; they are saving lives in an environment where their own lives are often in jeopardy.
At La Paix University Hospital, facing huge challenges to keep up with the demands as one of the few medical facilities still operating in the capital, the entire staff has shown tremendous courage and determination.
As we worry about what will come next, we must acknowledge the support from UNICEF, the World Health Organization, the United Nations Population Fund, the International Red Cross and others. They continue to heed our cry and sound the alarm, and we hope that once this is over, they will help us rise from whatever ashes disaster has wrought.
Dr. Lauré Adrien is the director general of Haiti’s Ministry of Public Health and Population. An obstetrician-gynecologist, he has spent years working with international organizations for improved health outcomes in Haiti.