HISPAÑOLA HEALTH PARTNERS (HAITI) 

HHP began working in southeast Haiti in 2013, invited by the community to partner in the completion of the region’s first primary care clinic, Centre de Santé Union de Grand-Gosier (CSUG). Operations began in January 2016 with a full-time doctor, nurse, pharmacy, and mobile clinic. Since then the clinic has expanded to 24/7 care, with full laboratory, observation unit, urgent care, and a staff of 13. CSUG provides primary care for 9,000 people annually, providing everything from machete wound repair to vaccinations. Our Mezon Nesans Fanmi (MNF), or birth center, is under construction and slated to be finished by November, 2021. MNF  is where women will have safe, compassionate, and professional perinatal care with licensed, professional Haitian midwives, doctors, and nurses. They can bring their family and their esteemed matwòn, or traditional birth attendant, to accompany them through their birth experience.

Two Great Saves:

Photo 1 - This patient lives in the town of Grand-Gosier, Sud'East department of Haiti, where there are no health services available. To reach Hispañola Health Partner’s clinic (CSUG), she would have a 2 hour uphill walk on a rough rocky road or a 30 minute ride by motorcycle. Fortunately, she was able to reach our clinic/ birth center in time thanks to the evaluation made by a local traditional birth attendant or matwòn who had received 6 months of training in a course provided by CSUG. The matwòn knew she was in serious condition when her labor began and needed to be transported. It was this 39-year-old patient’s first prenatal visit, and upon her arrival, after the physical examination and lab screening was completed, healthy twins were received into the gentle hands of CSUG’s midwife, our first twin birth at the center.

Photo 2 -This mom is a 35 year old G1P0 who lives in the remote community of Mapou in Sud’Est Haiti, where no health services are available for many miles. Mapou is 1 hour by motorcycle and 2 hours by foot to our health center. During a mobile clinic visiting Mapou, one of the activities for our training of traditional birth attendants or matwòn, she was brought to her first prenatal consultation by her matwòn. Upon examination by our midwife, she was found to have severe preeclampsia. She was immediately transported by motorcycle, accompanied by our midwife, to our clinic. Upon her arrival she was able to receive lab tests, a physical evaluation,  and swiftly gave birth to a healthy newborn. Mom, who could have suffered a debilitating stroke had her condition not be treated, is now thriving.

Stories By the Featured Clinic Teams, Ines Santos and Meg Wirth