Looking Back: 2022

The current political situation in Haiti has caused everyone to live in a climate of fear and turmoil. Let me say, what you are seeing happen in Port-au-Prince is not the same here in Cap-Haitien.  Yes, we have days and times where we cannot function normally. There are struggles and protests, mostly provoked by frustration of our people and their hopes for a better future. However, through all of this, life goes on. The last six months of 2022 were the most difficult at New Hope Hospital, but despite the obvious obstacles, we were able to continue to serve the medical needs of those in our area.  Many of our employees were unable to get to the hospital for work which automatically reduced the number of personnel onsite. Others employees who were able to travel here found it necessary to stay overnight depending on the emergencies encountered in the field. I, myself, have been spending a lot of my time onsite due to the inability to travel back and forth and also the need to have the hospital staffed.

With some earlier improvements at the laboratory and addition of equipment for other departments, like easy access to the scanners, New Hope has been able to share our resources with other facilities.  Low income prevents a lot of people from visiting a hospital for treatment; however, New Hope continues to offer healthcare at whatever level of payment can be offered by the patients. We are also able to offer some limited food services to our patients while at New Hope and send them home with medicine and a few simple supplies to make life a little better.  This creates an environment of hope and support, as well as helps New Hope live into its mission.  We at New Hope are committed to this mission because we have a village of people, people like those reading this report, who make it possible for us to continue.

Fuel and oxygen are our greatest need and hardest to find and these remain the most expensive barriers to our day- to-day operation.  Again, with Haitians having limited access to clean water we have seen a resurgence of cholera.  The tools we used to fight cholera the last time are not available to us now because we cannot travel to help with the treatment outside of the hospital. Now, we have to wait until people present themselves for treatment.  However, New Hope Hospital has quickly organized a place to receive the affected patients, as well as, done several cholera supply distributions to those able to get to the hospital.