Thursday June 21, 2024, the humanitarian medical organization Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) which had not been able to import medicines and medical equipment into Haiti since mid-March, directly threatening its activities in the country, has just receive 80 tons of medical equipment and supplies chartered by air. Three weeks after the reopening of the Port-au-Prince international airport, this delivery responds to the urgent need to resupply MSF programs, to continue treating the population, but is far from covering all of the structures' needs. medical facilities in which its teams work.

"In recent weeks, our medical facilities have been seriously under-supplied, to the point where we were in danger of having to interrupt patient care," said Mumuza Muhindo Musubaho, MSF head of mission. "This arrival of medicines and medical supplies is a huge relief, but it only allows us to avoid a complete stock-out. We remain vigilant, and the teams are already working to organize new deliveries in order to reliably continue all our medical activities and thus be able to treat more patients."

At the Cité Soleil general hospital, due to a lack of medical equipment, MSF teams were forced to reduce the number of outpatient consultations by 50% in April, and the opening of the patient admissions department had to be postponed. Thanks to the delivery of medical supplies, care capacity has now returned to normal and the hospital has been able to open 25 hospitalization beds, including 15 for children.

In Port-au-Prince, medical and humanitarian needs continue to worsen, facing a security and health situation that is not improving. From March to May 2024, MSF teams carried out 21,707 outpatient consultations, treated 8,449 urgent cases, including 1,128 patients with gunshot wounds and 1,337 victims of road accidents, and admitted 81 patients with serious burns to Tabarre hospital.

"These shipments are the result of a close and valuable collaboration between MSF teams and public and customs authorities, in a particularly complicated context," specifies Mumuza Muhindo Musubaho "We encourage all parties involved to continue to facilitate the receipt and transit of medical supplies from all health organizations and institutions, in order to ensure access to care for the population."

See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-42387-haiti-flash-msf-activities-threatened-by-the-blockade-of-ports-and-airports.html

https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-41828-icihaiti-carrefour-medecin-sans-frontiere-opened-a-new-hospital.html

HL/ HaitiLibre