The initial reconstruction plan prepared by the United Nations, World Bank and Haitian officials proposes a health care system that guarantees quality services, the availability of essential medication and universal access to primary health care, the Wall Street Journal reports. The plan calls for massive investments in the training of Haitian medical professionals and health workers. It also suggests the decentralization of health care, which has consistently been concentrated in Port-au-Prince.
All foreign contributions are welcome as long as the local medical personnel will benefit from the engagements and the whole health care system is strengthened, Ariel Henry, the chief of staff of the country’s Health Ministry said, according to WSJ.
WSJ notes that Haiti’s health care sector is currently dominated by foreign medical teams who flocked to the country in the wake of the massive Jan. 12 earthquake. Access to health care, the newspaper says, is better than before the earthquake, but there is widespread concern on what will happen once foreign medical teams leave. One organization, International Medical Corps, vowed to stay until funding runs out.
