View of University Hospital Peace©️ David Lorens Mentor
Delmas, 26 June 2025.- In a context of persistent power outages in the metropolitan area of Port-au-Prince, the University Hospital La Paix, located in Delmas 33, is in a critical situation. Dr. Paul Junior Fontilus, Executive Director of the facility, in an interview given to the Caribbean Radio Television, this Thursday, alerts about the exorbitant costs of fuel supply necessary to operate the generators, endangering the continuity of care in this already overheated hospital.
For several days, prolonged power cuts have seriously disrupted the functioning of health facilities in the Haitian capital. The University Hospital Peace, one of the few centres still operational, is forced to rely exclusively on fuel to operate its generators.
As a result, Dr. Fontilus reveals that the hospital consumes between 15 to 20 gallons of fuel per hour, generating costs greater than 600,000 gourdes every three days, or about 1000 gallons of fuel needed to maintain its operations. This financial pressure adds to already overwhelming logistical constraints.
« We are doing everything we can to continue to serve the population, but it is becoming increasingly untenable. », he said. The facility currently operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, due to the partial or total closures of several other hospitals, including the Hospital of the State University of Haiti (HUEH).
With 225 beds in service, the hospital is struggling to meet the growing demand. An expansion project aimed at increasing this capacity to 250 beds runs into limits of physical space.
Dr. Fontilus stressed the importance of the logistical support of the officers of the Office of the Commissioner of Delmas 33, which facilitated the safe reception of patients. However, in the face of the energy crisis, he urged the authorities to restore electricity. « If no action is taken quickly, we will no longer be able to deal with emergencies. », warn him.
The situation at La Paix Hospital is a worrying reflection of the challenges faced by health facilities in Haiti. The power cuts persist, following damage to the electrical towers at the Péligre Hydroelectric Generating Station by residents of Mirebalais, in protest against the presence of armed gangs. This increasingly puts the lives of patients at risk. The urgency of government intervention is necessary to remedy this problem.
WA
