Fuel crisis in Haiti: Gonaïves hospital appeals for humanitarian aid
Audio 01:24
The fuel shortage that seriously affects Haiti has a major impact on access and continuity of care in the country (illustrative image).
Getty Images - Richard Pierrin
Text by: RFI Follow
2 min
The Providence Hospital in Gonaïves is severely affected by the fuel shortage caused by the seizure of gangs controlling access to oil terminals.
The patients are in agony.
Reporting.
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With our special correspondent in Gonaïves,
Ronel Paul
In this reference hospital in the Artibonite department, the operating theater is dysfunctional, the doctors are unable to get there, all the generators are dry, it is a total blackout.
At the entrance to the emergency room, ten people including Loudemie Fleuridort.
She accompanies her mother seriously injured in the head as well as her sister-in-law whose right arm is broken following a car accident.
She is exasperated to see her loved ones suffer without being able to be treated.
“
There are several patients who died before my eyes
,” she testifies.
If my mother is still alive it is only thanks to God.
I arrived with her on Saturday and it was not until Sunday that a doctor examined her.
But because of the electricity problem, it cannot be sewn up.
"
Despite his desire to help the sick, Excène Joseph, medical director, must recognize his impotence.
“
The hospital is getting to a point where it cannot receive patients not for lack of staff or drugs, but simply because there is no fuel,” he
explains.
The generator is there but cannot work.
It is an extremely serious situation and it is very worrying for anyone including myself.
"
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Read also: Haiti: a fuel shortage threatens the operation of hospitals
After having done everything to find fuel, but without success, the departmental director of the Artibonite health directorate, Marcel Chatelier, fears a humanitarian disaster and sees no other solution than emergency humanitarian aid.
“
We are appealing to the international community and to all those who can help us to facilitate the arrival of fuel in hospitals
.
At least to transport the fuel by sea or by helicopter to the hospitals.
Because people cannot die like this,
”he says.
MSF forced to reduce its activities at Tabarre hospital
The organization Médecins sans frontières (MSF) is now forced to take care only of life-threatening emergencies at the trauma and burns hospital in Tabarre.
The hospital is the only center in the country specializing in the treatment of severe burns.
As the electricity network is failing, MSF structures are forced to use generators to run the various medical services, including the structure dedicated to severe burns.
The current fuel shortage therefore jeopardizes business continuity.
"
The functioning of many other medical structures, both private and public, are disrupted,"
explains Mumuza Muhindo, head of mission of Doctors Without Borders in Haiti.
For example, in an attempt to save the small remaining stock of fuel that we have, we try to adapt activities by focusing on emergencies that are life threatening. The use of certain machines is also being reduced, particularly for dialysis and sterilization services.
"
Likewise, to maintain the standard of care in the hospital, medical staff must be able to come to their place of work.
“
Today, we note that only 10% of the staff are able to come to work by their own means
,” specifies Dr. Kanouté Dialla, manager of the Tabarre hospital.
We organize shuttles to transport our staff, and ensure the minimum rotations necessary for the operation of the hospital.
This considerably increases the workload of the medical staff present.
Such a situation is untenable.
"
This fuel shortage now comes on top of an already complicated security situation.
One more difficulty for the nursing staff who must travel.
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Haiti
Health and medicine
Oil