The employees of the Cholera Treatment Center (CTC) of the Hopital Saint Michel de Jacmel [the largest hospital in the department of the South-East] are absent from work since Monday, March 28, 2011. The employees require of the health authorities the payment of their salary arrears. According to staff-strikers, from the departure in February 2011, of the NGO Doctors Without Borders (MSF) of the hospital Saint Michel, none of the staff of the CTC has been paid so far and no explanation has been provided by health officials in this regard.

Questioning on the consequences of this work stoppage, of the unique treatment center of Jacmel, which can accommodate people with cholera, employees say they aware of the impact that such movement can have on people's health, but they explain "We are obliged to observe the suspension of work in order to force the authorities concerned to take us into consideration, because we have our families to feed."

Dr. Yves Gaston Délouche Junior, the Departmental Health Director of Southeast, asks employees to be patient and they will soon receive their salaries. The manager said it had conducted an approach to UNICEF, one of the partners of his institution, which would have responded favorably to the financing of the CTC to break the deadlock. In fact, since the departure of MSF, the departmental health would be looking for funds to ensure the payment of the CTC staff...

Moreover, the departmental Director of the Health of South-East has expressed his concern about a possible increase in cases of cholera in the region because of the rainy season which has just been announced. Dr. Délouche Junior asks people to be very vigilant and respect the principles of hygiene.

HL/ Claudy Bélizaire