The general hospital hopes to resume service on April 1st

The General Hospital, forced to close on February 29, 2024, due to escalating violence in the region, aims to restart its operations soon. Amid palpable tensions, the executive management appeals to the employees’ sense of patriotism, scheduling the reopening for Monday, April 1, 2024. “The executive management of the State University Hospital of Haiti is pleased to announce the resumption of activities at the hospital from Monday, April 1, 2024, as of 8:00 am”, states a note signed by the executive director, Dr Jude Milcé.

Since late February, extreme violence has obligated healthcare providers and staff to withdraw, resulting in an interruption of health services to the population. The executive management of HUEH denounces the climate of terror and violence, which exacerbates an already severe humanitarian crisis in the country, making access to healthcare even more precarious. “Aware of the urgency of the situation, the executive management is convinced that the hospital as a whole must reaffirm its commitment to the Haitian people in these difficult times,” expresses Director Milcé.

Currently, armed gangs continue to strengthen their grip on the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince, warns the UN Special Coordinator for Haiti. This warning comes as talks to form a transitional authority to govern the country seem imminent. “In recent days, the gangs have extended their territory into new areas of the capital,” says Ulrika Richardson, UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Haiti, describing the situation as “seriously alarming.”

The daily life of the city’s residents is marked by “roadblocks, gunfire, and a lot of tension in the streets,” Richardson explains, noting that many people have had to leave their neighborhoods as the gangs advance. According to UN data, these armed groups already controlled 80% of Port-au-Prince in 2023 and were responsible for numerous criminal acts, including murder, rape, looting, and kidnapping for ransom.

Despite a relative calm in the early part of the day, gunfire echoed Thursday afternoon both in downtown and in Petion-Ville, an upscale district of the capital. Thursday evening, the National Police of Haiti (PNH) announced the death of the presumed gang leader, “Ti Grèg”, who had escaped from prison earlier in March. Ernst Julmé, presumed leader of the Delmas 95 gang, was fatally injured during a confrontation with PNH units in Delmas, the police specified on Facebook.