Netri Foundation

Social investments to combat extreme poverty

Emergency care at St. Damien's Hospital

Haiti, 2019

Collaborating Entity Fundación Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos (NPH)
Amount €10,000
Beneficiaries 129
Emergency care at St. Damien's hospital. Source: Our Little Brothers Foundation
Emergency care at St. Damien's hospital. Source: Our Little Brothers Foundation
Waiting room for emergency care at St. Damien Hospital. Source: NPH
Waiting room for emergency care at St. Damien Hospital. Source: NPH
Haiti demonstration. Source: NPH
Haiti demonstration. Source: NPH
Haiti street riots. Source: NPH
Haiti street riots. Source: NPH

Social Issue

During 2019, successive social unrest and violent demonstrations occurred in Haiti as a consequence of popular discontent over government corruption, triggering clashes between police, armed gangs, and the protesting population.

This situation endangered the physical integrity and health of the most vulnerable people in the country, children and pregnant women.

Our Response

Since 2007 we have collaborated with the local partner of Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos in Haiti, NPFS. However, due to the 2019 riots, this project has focused specifically on supporting the emergency and contingency measures of the St. Damien Hospital. In this way, it has been possible to help the maternal and child population that needed immediate assistance during the period of riots.

The specific objectives have been:

  • To eliminate hospital admission criteria. St. Damien Hospital cared for all those who needed assistance. Pregnant women or sick children were not referred to other health centres, due to the risk that they could not arrive.
  • To prepare beds in the hospital’s corridors to be able to look after the large influx of patients, suffering especially from malnutrition and trauma caused by violent social unrest.
  • To provide shelter, medications, and meals to the chronically ill, employees, and patients’ relatives. The hospital offered shelter and food to people who were unable to leave the hospital due to street violence.
  • To supply essential products and increase fuel reserves. Many products, such as water, food, or hygiene products, had to be moved by ambulance to ensure their arrival at the hospital.
  • To transfer patients and hospital employees in ambulances. When public transportation stopped working, St. Damien Hospital took care of transporting people by ambulance (with the NPFS logo) so they could arrive in the shortest possible time.

Expected Social Impact

The grants have been able to provide treatment and social support to the Haitian maternal and child population. An estimated 129 people benefited from the aid.