The deteriorating security situation in Haiti has pushed the country's healthcare system to the edge of catastrophic failure, as criminal gangs continue to assault and seize control of hospitals, clinics, and pharmacies across the capital Port-au-Prince.
The State University of Haiti Hospital, the nation's largest public medical facility located in downtown Port-au-Prince, has been forced to shut down operations after the area fell under gang control, leaving the most impoverished segments of the population with no access to critical care.
"There are no doctors, no nurses, no medical staff -- the doctors can't even come here," lamented one distraught patient. According to a local human rights organization, at least 13 hospitals in Port-au-Prince have suspended services amid the ongoing gang violence.
"None of the three main hospitals serving lower-income communities in Port-au-Prince are functioning properly now. The Sanatorium Hospital of Port-au-Prince, a university specialty hospital accessible to everyone, was ransacked by a group of armed gang members. The healthcare system in the capital has practically collapsed," said Jean-esther, chief physician at the hospital.
The dire situation has resulted in severe shortages of medical supplies, with healthcare workers facing grave safety concerns. The surging number of displaced individuals has also overwhelmed temporary shelters, as residents grapple with compounding crises of hunger and health.
"We're worried the current situation is unsustainable - we fear basic medicines and supplies could run out soon. As you know, the ports and airport remain closed, so we can't bring in new equipment from outside," said Jean-Marc Biquet, the head of Doctors Without Borders' Haiti mission.
Despite law enforcement efforts to curb the gang violence, the armed criminal groups have repeatedly targeted the country's medical facilities, bringing Haiti's healthcare system to the brink of total paralysis.
Haiti healthcare system near collapse as gang violence escalates
