We're a few weeks away from the second anniversary of
the January 10, 2010 earthquake. As far as healthcare is concerned,
have we moved forward or backwards? Besides a modern hospital being built in
Mirebalais, nothing has really changed. Some will cite dealing with the Cholera
epidemics during the past year as the reason for such lack of progress. Yes,
many resources dedicated to infrastructures have been shifting to the Cholera
campaign. But the reality is there, begging for change. Patient, such as Yolene
presented below, can't wait for long.
Yolene, a 36-year
old woman, pregnant with her fifth child has been given a long list of prenatal
lab tests to do. She looks at the script with sadness, knowing there's no way
her partner would have money to pay for the tests. Six months later, when it
comes the time for her to deliver her baby, she’d probably stay home, hoping
for the best outcome. But if the baby turns or descends the wrong way or is huge,
or if any other unforeseen complications occur, she may have to become part of the statistics
on infant or maternal mortality.
There are thousands of Yolene in Haiti. For them each pregnancy is
like a curse from the devil, on a financial standpoint. Who should pay for their prenatal, perinatal, and
postnatal care? If they need a C-section, who should pick up the tab?
Henry has been living with Diabetes for almost a decade now. He drives
a tap tap (re-arranged pickup truck where people seat on top of each other),
when it’s available. The few gourdes (Haiti’s currency) that remain in his
pocket, after paying for usage fees and fuel, can barely buy his medications (Glucophage
and Glyburide) and food for his family of four. Many times he has to go without
his meds or seeing a physician.
Thousands of Henry, living with chronic diseases, mostly
Hypertension and Diabetes, face the same challenge: continuing care and
daily medications. Who should help Henry pay for his medications?
Healthcare For All in Haiti: It's possible. Let's start analyzing the current situation and how we get where we are today. The hundreds of actors operating in the system, nationals and foreigners, what works and what does not. But first of all defining what healthcare system for what country in 2012 and beyond.
ReplyDeleteThe current situation is part out-of-pocket, part free-care through the ONGs. Both components are not sustainable in the long run. At one point we need to develop a state-sponsored insurance-type system, through which Haitians, regardless of their socio-economic status can access timely and continuing care. State-sponsored models come on various shapes and forms. Which one will fit Haiti best, given our culture, our economy, and our politics? By the way, how are our neighboors--Cuba, DR, Jamaica, etc. doing it? What can we borrow from their system?
ReplyDeleteShubert Etienne said That is a great initiative. I am assuming it is also a very costly undertaken that require a lot of work. There are other(NGO) medical groups in Haiti providing medical care. I wonder how your organization can work together with them so there will be no duplication of services. It will be great to also implement clean and portable water program to minimize the spread of diseases. Nutrition will need to be at the core of the overall preventive medicine to improve people's quality of life. As a clinical social worker, I am thinking about the possibility of including mental health services in the health care for all program.
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