Port-au-Prince, May 8, 2020 --- On April 17, 20, 21 and 27, 2020, UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, delivered a batch of medical equipment to 8 health institutions in the North West to strengthen them and help them better serve the population of this department. More specifically, this donation is part of the midwifery project and the strengthening of midwifery with funding from the Canadian Government.
These equipment include gynecological examination and delivery beds, delivery tables, ultrasound machines, scales for taking the weight of babies, cabinets for storing drugs, oxygen concentrators, sterilization drums, manual suction pumps, wheelchairs, ultrasound scanners and fetal dopplers. A doppler is a device used to monitor the fetal heart rate for good monitoring of its vitality during childbirth. The Northwest Health Department Directorate supervised the transport of these equipment to the various health facilities.
The institutions that receive these equipment are located in Latortue, Jean Rabel, Bassin Bleu, Bombardopolis, Môle Saint-Nicolas, Baie de Henne, Anse-à-Foleur and Port-de-Paix. The heads of these institutions welcomed the donation, taking into account the Covid-19 context and the fact that many services were often not available in health institutions due to the lack of equipments and qualified personnel. The latter then referred pregnant women to other institutions very far from their homes and which in turn were not equipped enough to take care of them either.
Betty Stéphanie Charles, a nurse at Bon Samaritain Hospital in Bassin Bleu for almost 1 year, believes that this donation fills a big void. "The shortage of beds in the hospital's maternity unit which was only 4 handicapped us enormously to the point that we were forced to discharge patients 6 hours after delivery contrary to the standard recommended duration," Miss Charles said.
Jean Rabel’s medical director at "Hôpital Notre-Dame" is just as satisfied with this medical equipment assistance. "This will help us considerably in the provision of quality care and in the follow-up of some cases," Dr. Jean Herby Lafrance notes.
In addition to these medical equipments, UNFPA has provided handwashing buckets to these health facilities, which will be placed in maternity hospitals to prevent infections in general and those related to Covid in particular.
UNFPA will soon through the Northwest Health Department Directorate distribute Dignity kits and cooking kits to the poorest women who attend Northwest health facilities.
"We are going to give these Dignity kits to women at the end of pregnancy, that is to say who are at their last prenatal consultation (CPN)", says with a touch of satisfaction Betty Stéphanie Charles, nurse at « Hôpital Bon Samaritain de Bassin Bleu”.
The Dignity kits include panties, sanitary napkins, soap, toothbrushes and hand towels. They are intended to help women regain their dignity during this period of health crisis caused by Covid-19.
Texte : Vario Sérant
Photo : Max Dervil
