Hospital shuts down in Haiti’s Ouanaminthe after months of unpaid wages, leaving patients without care

OUANAMINTHE, Haiti — A prolonged strike over unpaid wages has forced the closure of the Ouanaminthe Medical and Social Center, leaving patients — including pregnant women — without care in Haiti’s Northeast and exposing deep cracks in an already fragile healthcare system.

The shutdown follows more than six weeks of protests by healthcare workers demanding payment of 10 to 15 months of wage arrears, along with formal employment documentation.

“This situation has gone on for far too long,” said Dr. Patrick Joseph. “We have been mobilizing for more than a month and a half, yet many of us still have not been paid or received appointment letters.”

As the strike continues and the government has yet to address the situation, patients are left with nowhere to go. With services fully halted, they are either turned away or forced to seek costly care at private clinics — an option many cannot afford.

During visits on April 7 and 8, respectively, The Haitian Times found the hospital gates closed and the waiting areas empty. Patients gathered outside, unsure whether to wait or leave.

“I’ve been here since this morning, but there are no services. I don’t know where to go,” said Cherlanda François.

“I can’t afford a private clinic, so I’m going home even though I still need treatment,” added Dominique Phanord.

For pregnant women and people with chronic conditions, the risks are especially acute.

To see a private doctor at an Ouanaminthe health center, patients may pay between 1000 and 1500 gourdes, or about $8-$12; a gynecological consultation costs at least 2000 gourdes ($16) for patients who live on less than $2 a day. In comparison, at the public hospital, residents usually pay 250 gourdes, or approximately $2, for a visit.

“I can no longer go to the Dominican Republic for treatment, and I can’t afford a private clinic,” said Judelyne Joseph, who is eight months pregnant.

“I’m five months pregnant, but I’m bleeding and my belly isn’t growing,” said Maudelyne Aluidor. “I came today hoping for help, but the hospital is closed.”

System under mounting pressure, as funding suspension and border restrictions deepen crisis

The strike has paralyzed all services at the center, including emergency and maternity care.

Workers say the Ministry of Public Health and Population (MSPP) has failed to regularize contracts or pay staff, including employees previously funded by the former United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) programs who were absorbed into the public system in 2025.

The end of U.S.-funded health programs left dozens of workers in administrative limbo. Many continued working without pay for months, expecting integration into government payrolls that has yet to materialize.

“Every day, it’s the same promises, but nothing changes,” said Dr. Richardely Augustin.

Staff describe worsening living conditions as salaries remain unpaid.

“We haven’t been paid for 14 months, yet we still have rent and children’s school tuitions to pay,” said Gerson Jean, a hospital guard. “We can’t even put food on our table. A hungry person cannot take care of the sick.”

For years, residents in Haiti’s Northeast relied on nearby hospitals and urgent care services in the neighboring Dominican Republic for more affordable care. On the Dominican side, people often pay as little as 100 pesos or less than $2 for treatment, some residents say. But tighter migration controls have sharply limited cross-border access.

Since President Luis Abinader’s reelection, Haitians face tighter restrictions on crossing the border for medical care. If someone does not legally reside in the DR, they must obtain special authorization from the authorities, which is burdensome.

With that option largely cut off, communities are now almost entirely dependent on a public health system weakened by funding gaps, staffing shortages and ongoing instability following the halt of USAID-supported programs.

The hospital’s closure has intensified those pressures, leaving thousands with few or no viable alternatives.

Uncertain path to reopening— and a familiar government response

Health authorities say efforts are underway to resolve the crisis.

At an emergency meeting on April 6 at the striking hospital, officials discussed reopening essential services, particularly emergency and maternity care, while addressing delayed payments and contract issues.

“We are seeing efforts by the Ministry and the government to pay the strikers,” said Dr. Clervain Dorsainvil, director of health for the Northeast Department. “We hope everyone will receive their wages soon.”

Workers are divided into two main groups: former USAID-funded employees whose contracts ended in early 2025—after the Trump administration decided to defund the agency—and newer staff hired directly by the MSPP. Both groups say they face the same issue—months of unpaid wages and ongoing administrative uncertainty.

For now, however, the hospital remains closed — and for many residents, access to care remains out of reach.

“We are ready to return to work, but the center will not reopen until we are paid,” Dr. Joseph said.

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