Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) faces unprecedented obstacles in carrying out its humanitarian mission. In a press release received by our editorial staff this Wednesday, May 22, the organization warns of the serious disruptions affecting its medical operations.
“If we do not receive our medical equipment in the next two weeks, we will be forced to significantly scale back our operations,” said Mumuza Muhindo Musubaho, MSF head of mission. “We had to increase our response capacity to cope with the influx of patients, but due to high consumption of medicines, we are currently out of stock,” he continued.
According to MSF, more than 30 medical centers and hospitals have closed their doors, including the largest, the Hospital of the State University of Haiti, due to acts of vandalism, looting or because they are located in unsafe areas.
“The closure of the airport and ports in February led to critical stock shortages for MSF medical facilities,” the statement said. Mumuza Muhindo Musubaho stressed the need for more flexible customs procedures to enable rapid delivery of medicines and other medical supplies.
The statement also highlighted the serious consequences of this situation on the population, particularly for those suffering from chronic illnesses such as tuberculosis and HIV, and for people living in unsanitary conditions in the displaced sites in Port-au- Prince.
In addition, the institution highlighted the challenges faced by its hospital in Carrefour, whose reserves have decreased rapidly due to the increase in the number of patients.
“In this context, everything becomes a challenge. Even purchasing paper for medical reports is a major problem these days,” explained Jean Baptiste Goasglas, MSF project coordinator.
The statement further reported that MSF teams provided between March and April 2024 a total of 9,025 outpatient consultations, treated 4,966 urgent cases, including 869 gunshot wounds and 742 road accident victims, and admitted 99 patients. seriously burned at Tabarre hospital, half of whom were children.
During this time of emergency, MSF calls on authorities to facilitate customs procedures and urges all parties to facilitate the safe transport of equipment to medical facilities to ensure treatment of patients.
