Haiti
U.S. citizens in Haiti to be repatriated to the United States
The Embassy of the United States in Haiti announced the repatriation of American citizens on Tuesday on its website. Many foreign citizens are stranded in the country following border closures and the government-ordered flight ban. The airline JetBlue, according to the American Embassy, has obtained authorization from the Haitian government to operate repatriation flights for American citizens wishing to leave Haiti. Passengers must make their reservation and be in possession of a ticket purchased directly from the airline. Continue reading
Pharmacists involved in the fight against COVID-19
Haitian pharmacists are at the forefront of the fight against Coronavirus in the country. Mr. Rommel Cajuste, vice president of the Association of Pharmacists of Haiti, draws attention to the role of pharmacists in the control of medicines and the production of solutions. He denounces the conditions for the distribution of medicines in Haiti. 70% of the drugs come from abroad, he says, drawing attention to the precarious economic conditions of the three Haitian pharmaceutical laboratories. The Matrix, Pharval and 4C laboratories do not produce intravenous solutions, he adds. Continue reading
Only five of 124 beds meet criteria for an intensive care unit says recent study
For patients with COVID-19 who will require hospitalization, there are less than one hundred mechanical ventilators and 124 intensive care beds in Haiti. Worse still, only five of 124 beds meet the criteria for a level 1 intensive care unit, while none reaches levels 2 and 3, according to a study done at Research and Education consortium for Acute Care in Haiti (REACH) that was published in June 2019. In an interview with Le Nouvelliste, Dr. Ronald Laroche pointed out that their hospital structures can take care of the majority of cases of COVID-19 but stressed that the MSPP has not yet communicated either on the protocol to be adopted or on the reference conditions. Continue reading
President of the Foundation for the Elderly very worried for the elderly facing the Coronavirus
Next to people with hypertension, diabetes or living with HIV, the elderly are another category of people at high risk to COVID-19. The situation is much more complicated for those who live in retirement homes. “What we call retirement homes in Haiti are unfortunately death row,” says geriatrician Jean-Claude Desgranges. The doctor denounces the lack of infrastructure necessary for the effective care of the elderly. “We have an intergenerational problem,” notes Desgranges. “Within families, we don’t give our seniors what they deserve.” Continue reading
Poet and lyricist Jean-Claude Martineau condemns violence against infected people in Haiti
Poet and lyricist Jean-Claude Martineau urges people not to use violence against people infected with the COVID-19 pandemic, but preferably to confide in science in an interview with AlterRadio / AlterPresse. This call follows attacks by people in the population against Professor Nelson Bellamy of the University of Lemonade (North), after he claimed to have quarantined himself for having felt similar symptoms to those of COVID-19. Continue reading