Grande Rivière du Nord Hospital

As suggested by its name, L’Hôpital de la Grande Rivière du Nord is located in the Grande Rivere du Nord town of Haiti and is the unique healthcare center for a population of more than 65,000 inhabitants, spread over the communes of Grande Rivière du Nord and Bahon of the Département du Nord.  Unfortunately, in that hospital, maintenance and operating costs are borne by the patients, although the majority of people seeking healthcare have low income. In addition, 70% of the people in these municipalities are unemployed or underemployed, and the problem of access to care for this disadvantaged population remains crucial.

Despite the fact that the pharmacy offers a limited supply of drugs for either emergency first care
or chronic pathologies, the average daily number of patient seeking help oscillates around 30 per
day for all services, except on vaccination days when this average is higher. Even while the Cuban physicians were present, they were mostly powerless due to lack of supplies and insufficiently trained local affiliated medical staff. So, two years after their departure, access to care is even worse. It consists mainly of referrals to Milot or Cap Haitien hospitals. Many families, including pregnant women, often decline referrals to these centers and prefer to stay or go home because of financial constraints, even if their choice means facing death.

Following the successful fundraising for an ambulance and other ongoing efforts, a group of civil society organizations and city residents was organized with the goal of improving access to basic health care through new initiatives. While addressing the root causes of access, it is imperative to focus on what is of most concern to the community:

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• The lack of or insufficiency to basic pediatric care

• The unbearable burden of chronic illnesses and their complications

• The presence of certain obstacles to factors influencing elements of care that shape the social determinants of health in a population where the daily struggle for survival is becoming increasingly difficult.

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The competition among multiple life priorities for most of the citizens in these municipalities has
a negative impact on seeking early care and even more so on adopting preventive measures that
must be put into practice.

Along with several local and internationally affiliated organizations, we at AMHE foundation seek your generosity to improve the condition of the hospital for better access to health care for all the people of Grande Riviere du Nord and Bahon. Please donate generously.

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