Haiti: Gangs Force 34 Health Institutions to Close Down

On Wednesday, Haiti's Ministry of Public Health and Population reported that 34 public and private sector health institutions are closed due to gang violence in the Caribbean country.

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Dr. Yvrose Chrysostome, director of the Health Services Organisation, said that between March and April 2024, 34 clinics and hospitals stopped functioning due to looting and arson by armed bandits.

In the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area and the municipalities of Gonâve, Arcahaie, Cornillon, Croix-des-Bouquets, Fermathe, Léogâne and Petit-Goâve, health care facilities are operating at a slower pace due to problems with supplies and power.

The shootings are causing forced absenteeism of staff, and patients are prevented from reaching the clinics by the crossfire.

���� Chaque année, 136 millions de cas d'infections résistantes aux antibiotiques associées aux soins de santé sont recensés dans le monde. SAUVEZ DES VIES - #lavezvouslesmains

➕INFOS⤵
➡️https://t.co/WSc1QwbMC4 pic.twitter.com/V83IrA8BGK

— OPS/OMS Haïti (@OPSOMSHaiti) May 6, 2024

 The text reads, 

Every year, 136 million cases of healthcare-associated antibiotic-resistant infections are reported worldwide. SAVE LIVES 

Recently, the Haitian Medical Association called for respect for the right to health, which has been violated by the closure of state and private hospitals due to the growing wave of violence in the Caribbean country.

"The Haitian Medical Association, on behalf of all its members, wishes to raise its voice in this tumultuous and appalling situation that is disrupting the lives of all citizens of our nation," a statement from the organisation said.

The right to health, this precious good, derived from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948 and our Constitution, responds to the greatest aspirations of mankind since its origins, the note points out.

"The peaceful search for solutions that respond to the wishes of the Haitian people and respect for the inalienable rights of all people without distinction and, in particular, of health institutions and personnel is vital," the association said. Health is a primordial need for women, children, men, young people and the elderly in our country, for the well-being and security of all are at stake, said the organisation in its communiqué.