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. Nonetheless, with shortages of drugs, meals and hospital capability, officers are calling for worldwide help to maintain the power working.
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 diseases, performing lifesaving surgical procedures, and caring for high-risk pregnancies—is now in danger itself. Finances shortfalls, dwindling provides and the worsening safety disaster have pushed the power to the brink, main its officers to situation an pressing plea for assist.
“Solidarity is aware of no borders. If folks exterior assist us, it means we aren’t alone in going through these challenges,” Dr. Pascale Gassant, medical director of St. Damien Hospital, informed The Haitian Instances..
On the event of World Well being Day, on April 7, Haiti’s healthcare system is getting ready to 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 corresponding to the next:
- State College Hospital of Haiti (HUEH), often known as l’Hôpital Normal
- 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 Group Hospital
- Beudet Group 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. Medical doctors 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 employees.
In the meantime, the roads to the few remaining hospitals, together with St. Damien, are more and more harmful, making it almost unimaginable for sufferers and medical employees to journey safely.
“We’re decided. Each day, we threat our lives. However we want assist,” mentioned Dr. Gassant.
“Solidarity is aware of no borders. If folks exterior assist us, it means we aren’t 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 remedies 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 gives emergency care and treats circumstances corresponding to malnutrition, dehydration, and infectious illnesses like tuberculosis and HIV, in addition to non-infectious illnesses corresponding to most cancers and coronary heart illness. The hospital additionally helps deserted kids and gives social help to sufferers in want.
Regardless of gang threats, 500 medical doctors, nurses and different employees proceed working on the hospital, treating kids and moms underneath excessive circumstances.
In 2024 alone, St. Damien recorded the next outcomes:
- 1,260 births
- 131 pediatric surgical procedures
- 46 new most cancers circumstances handled
- 100+ kids seen each day within the outpatient clinic
- 500 kids vaccinated every month
The hospital’s 25-bed neonatology unit manages about 50% of Haiti’s toddler mortality circumstances, whereas its oncology middle treats almost all pediatric cancers, besides mind tumors.
Nonetheless, funding shortages now threaten its malnutrition therapy packages, maternity and neonatology care and mother-to-child HIV prevention packages.
“We consider in a greater future. It’s important to at all times have hope. With out hope, life loses its that means. Lespwa fè viv,” mentioned Dr. Gassant. “Regardless of the insecurity, we should proceed our mission for kids and moms.”
“I might have died, however St. Damien recognized and handled my critical coronary heart illness.”
Davie, a former affected person of St. Damien Pediatric Hospital
“I might 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 result of security issues, is aware of firsthand how vital the hospital is. At 11 years previous, he was misdiagnosed with a chilly, however St. Damien’s medical doctors found he had a life-threatening coronary heart situation. Two surgical procedures later, Davie survived—and at this time, at 24, he helps the hospital’s fundraising efforts.
“I might have died, however St. Damien recognized and handled my coronary heart illness,” Davie mentioned in a video shared with The Haitian Instances by the hospital employees. “Because of their generosity, I survived—and now, I assist others.”
After shedding his mom, Davie and his sister turned orphans. When he fell unwell, what was initially regarded as a chilly turned out to be a critical coronary heart situation, which St. Damien’s medical doctors handled.
Sincerely grateful to the medical employees 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 employees and volunteers in speaking with sufferers. “I really feel very blessed,” he says.
A name for pressing help
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 boost consciousness and search emergency funding.
“If St. Damien didn’t exist, kids and moms would die,” mentioned 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 speedy help, even the final remaining hospitals might not survive.
“We’re used to crises, however the challenges we face at this time are larger than ever,” mentioned Dr. Gassant. “Hope have to be preserved so we are able to 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 circumstances have been reported, and 1.6 million persons 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 wrestle to ship crucial provides by way of 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.