Several medical institutions signatories of a joint note: The Haitian Medical Association, The Association of Private Hospitals of Haiti; Diquini Adventist Hospital; The Gheskio Centers; Doctors Without Borders and the Saint Luc and Saint Damien Hospitals are calling on "Stop to armed intrusions into medical institutions in Haiti !". They express their concern about insecurity and demand respect from armed individuals towards all medical institutions, ambulances, health personnel and patients.

"In the current conditions of the medical sector, which are particularly difficult, it is essential to have a minimum of security in order to be able to treat patients who present themselves.

Many hospitals have been attacked or prevented from functioning due to insecurity. This is unacceptable in a country like Haiti where access to care is already very limited. The signatories demand from all weapon bearers, whoever they may be, respect for the neutrality and inviolability of medical institutions in Haiti.é

Known examples of incidents (partial list)

• On Thursday July 27, the Director of Laboratory Epidemiology and Research was kidnapped at Delmas 31;

• On Saturday July 22, 2023, the Director of the Family Health Department was kidnapped in Tabarre

• On the night of July 7 to 8, 2023, around twenty armed men broke into the MSF Traumatology hospital in Tabarre to take out a patient who had been shot while he was still in the operating room;

• On June 19, 2023, the community hospital of Bon repos, Zilda Arns was attacked by armed individuals who looted everything and even kidnapped 6 security guards;

• On February 14, 2023, two executives from Gheskio were kidnapped as they left their place of work while a few days earlier, another doctor from the same institution had been abducted;

• On January 26, 2023, in a health structure supported by MSF, the Raoul Pierre Louis hospital, armed individuals entered the emergency room and took out a patient before shooting him in front of the hospital ;

• On August 14, 2022, armed men landed at the Raoul Pierre Louis hospital in Arcachon 32 and took a patient out of the emergency room before executing him;

• On July 3, 2022, a doctor was kidnapped as he was leaving his service at St Luc Hospital in Tabarre;

• On May 17, 2022, the medical director of the State University Hospital of Haiti was kidnapped by armed men near the hospital;

• In June 2021, MSF was forced to leave the Martissant emergency center following violent clashes between armed groups in the area, putting staff and patients at risk.

HL/ HaitiLibre