Overview:
As gang violence forces greater than 20 hospitals to shut, St. Damien Pediatric Hospital in Tabarre, Port-au-Prince, stays one of many few nonetheless working. Nevertheless, with shortages of medication, meals and hospital capability, officers are calling for worldwide assist to maintain the ability operating.
PORT-AU-PRINCE — As gang violence paralyzes Haiti’s capital and its surrounding areas, forcing greater than 20 hospitals to shut, St. Damien Pediatric Hospital in Tabarre, a number of miles northeast of downtown Port-au-Prince, stays among the many few nonetheless working. However the hospital—recognized for treating childhood sicknesses, performing lifesaving surgical procedures, and caring for high-risk pregnancies—is now in danger itself. Price range shortfalls, dwindling provides and the worsening safety disaster have pushed the ability to the brink, main its officers to challenge an pressing plea for assist.
“Solidarity is aware of no borders. If folks outdoors assist us, it means we’re not alone in going through these challenges,” Dr. Pascale Gassant, medical director of St. Damien Hospital, instructed The Haitian Instances..
On the event of World Well being Day, on April 7, Haiti’s healthcare system is on the point of full collapse. It has been devastated by gang violence, with many hospitals looted and shut down.
Earlier than the resurgence in escalation final month, over 20 private and non-private medical facilities had already ceased operations, together with vital hospitals akin to the next:
- State College Hospital of Haiti (HUEH), also called l’Hôpital Basic
- Saint-François de Gross sales Hospital in downtown Port-au-Prince
- Sprint Hospital in Delmas 18
- Croix-des-Bouquets Well being Middle
- Sainte-Catherine Labouré Hospital in Cité Soleil
- Aurore du Bel-Air Well being Middle
- Saint-Martin 2 Well being Middle (Rue Saint-Martin)
- Saint-Martin 1 Well being Middle (Delmas 3 and 18)
- Sanatorium Hospital in Carrefour-Feuilles
- Bon-Repos Neighborhood Hospital
- Beudet Neighborhood Hospital
- Pernier Well being Middle
In December 2024, gangs attacked the State College Hospital, killing two journalists and injuring a minimum of seven folks in a shootout. Docs With out Borders—Médecins Sans Frontières—which reopened a few of its well being facilities throughout the Port-au-Prince metropolitan space, suspended its actions once more in March 2025 after armed assaults on its workers.
In the meantime, the roads to the few remaining hospitals, together with St. Damien, are more and more harmful, making it practically inconceivable for sufferers and medical workers to journey safely.
“We’re decided. Every single day, we danger our lives. However we’d like assist,” stated Dr. Gassant.
“Solidarity is aware of no borders. If folks outdoors assist us, it means we’re not alone in going through these challenges.”
Dr. Pascale Gassant, medical director of St. Damien Hospital
How St. Damien fights to avoid wasting lives
Based in 1989 and operated by the nonprofit Nos Petits Frères et Soeurs, French for “Our Little Brothers and Sisters,” St. Damien is Haiti’s solely pediatric hospital offering full-scale providers, together with childhood most cancers therapies and maternal care. It stays a lifeline for hundreds of weak Haitian households.
St. Damien Hospital treats roughly 50,000 sufferers yearly. With 224 beds, the hospital has expanded its maternity and neonatology providers because the 2010 earthquake. It offers emergency care and treats situations akin to malnutrition, dehydration, and infectious illnesses like tuberculosis and HIV, in addition to non-infectious illnesses akin to most cancers and coronary heart illness. The hospital additionally helps deserted youngsters and provides social help to sufferers in want.
Regardless of gang threats, 500 docs, nurses and different workers proceed working on the hospital, treating youngsters and moms underneath excessive situations.
In 2024 alone, St. Damien recorded the next outcomes:
- 1,260 births
- 131 pediatric surgical procedures
- 46 new most cancers instances handled
- 100+ youngsters seen every day within the outpatient clinic
- 500 youngsters vaccinated every month
The hospital’s 25-bed neonatology unit manages about 50% of Haiti’s toddler mortality instances, whereas its oncology middle treats practically all pediatric cancers, besides mind tumors.
Nevertheless, funding shortages now threaten its malnutrition remedy packages, maternity and neonatology care and mother-to-child HIV prevention packages.
“We imagine in a greater future. It’s important to at all times have hope. With out hope, life loses its that means. Lespwa fè viv,” stated Dr. Gassant. “Regardless of the insecurity, we should proceed our mission for youngsters and moms.”
“I may have died, however St. Damien recognized and handled my critical coronary heart illness.”
Davie, a former affected person of St. Damien Pediatric Hospital
“I may have died”: A former affected person’s testimony
A former St. Damien affected person, who requested to be recognized by their first title, Davie, as a consequence of security issues, is aware of firsthand how vital the hospital is. At 11 years outdated, he was misdiagnosed with a chilly, however St. Damien’s docs found he had a life-threatening coronary heart situation. Two surgical procedures later, Davie survived—and right this moment, at 24, he helps the hospital’s fundraising efforts.
“I may have died, however St. Damien recognized and handled my coronary heart illness,” Davie stated in a video shared with The Haitian Instances by the hospital workers. “Because of their generosity, I survived—and now, I assist others.”
After dropping his mom, Davie and his sister turned orphans. When he fell in poor health, what was initially regarded as a chilly turned out to be a critical coronary heart situation, which St. Damien’s docs handled.
Sincerely grateful to the medical workers at St. Damien, Davie went on to earn his levels in Interpretation, Translation, and Entrepreneurship. He now works as a medical translator, helping international medical workers and volunteers in speaking with sufferers. “I really feel very blessed,” he says.
A name for pressing assist
St. Damien is struggling to maintain its operations, with United States assist to Haiti frozen and USAID funds stalled. The hospital makes use of the event of World Well being Day on April 7 to lift consciousness and search emergency funding.
“If St. Damien didn’t exist, youngsters and moms would die,” stated Dr. Jenny Edouard, former HIV/AIDS program coordinator now dwelling within the U.S.
As illnesses unfold, malnutrition worsens, and violence escalates, Haiti’s healthcare system is collapsing. With out quick assist, even the final remaining hospitals could not survive.
“We’re used to crises, however the challenges we face right this moment are higher than ever,” stated Dr. Gassant. “Hope have to be preserved so we will proceed our mission.”
The disaster at St. Damien is a part of a broader humanitarian catastrophe in Haiti. Since 2022, over 82,000 suspected cholera instances have been reported, and 1.6 million individuals are experiencing acute meals insecurity, worsening malnutrition, and the unfold of illnesses. Regardless of these challenges, hospitals like St. Damien proceed to function however face overwhelming obstacles, together with restricted provides, broken infrastructure, and ongoing insecurity.
UNICEF and different humanitarian organizations battle to ship vital provides through an airlift from Panama, whereas the nation’s paralyzed infrastructure additional exacerbates the disaster. These challenges threaten to push Haiti deeper right into a humanitarian catastrophe.