Haiti - Covid-19 : Shortage of Personal Protective Equipment, a major concern
"The shortage in materials and equipmentremains a major issue of concern. Several orders have been placed, however, the cost for PPE transportation to Haiti is extremely high and continues to rise. Regulations to ban Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) export from some countries exacerbates the problem1. An evaluation of equipment needs for the next three months indicates that a large amount of PPE is required for an adequate response," indicates the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in a report produced in collaboration with the Pan American Health Organization and the World Health Organization, (PAHO / WHO) and other United Nations agencies and humanitarian partners.
"Hospitals continue refusing to treat patients due to PPE shortages. For example, the “Hôpital Francais d’Haiti” temporarily suspended its emergency and hospitalization services, citing the inability to protect patients and service providers from the virus. This is also impacting the Haitian National Police (PNH), who are struggling to provide protective equipment to their officers which increases the risk of absenteeism. The NGO consortium CLIO has issued a press release, emphasising the need for protective equipment for NGO staff in order to enable the continuity of humanitarian activities.
To alleviate the issue of PPE shortages, discussions between the industrial manufacturing / textile sector, the RC/HC, PAHO/WHO and UNOPS are underway to assess the possibility of 1) meeting the required specifications, 2) guaranteeing that a % of productions stays in Haiti to meet local needs, and 3) augmenting production."
