As part of its public health mission focused on proximity and equitable access to care, the Nippes Health Directorate (DSNI) organized a mobile clinic earlier this month, at the Anse-à-Veau prison, the largest penitentiary in the department.

This initiative reflects the DSNI's ongoing commitment to bringing healthcare services closer to the most vulnerable populations, including those living in prison. The Anse-à-Veau detention center houses inmates from the local jurisdiction, as well as from Miragoâne, making it a space requiring special attention to healthcare.

A concrete response to healthcare needs in prisons

Often facing difficult detention conditions, incarcerated individuals suffer from numerous health conditions requiring urgent and regular medical care. During this mobile clinic, DSNI managers and healthcare staff mobilized to provide consultations, assess priority cases, and distribute appropriate medications.

Several inmates suffering from illnesses such as influenza, fever, tuberculosis, and other common ailments received immediate care in an atmosphere marked by high levels of satisfaction and numerous expressions of gratitude.

A Mission guided by a humanitarian vision of public health

This activity was carried out under the leadership of the Minister of Public Health and Population, Dr. Sinal Bertrand, and is part of the initiative launched by the Director of the DSNI, Dr. Esther Ceus Dumont, who was present to support the team and provide initial guidance for the continuation of these crucial interventions.

In a powerful statement, the Director emphasized the profound meaning of this action :

"An incarcerated person is not a person condemned to die of illness." Prison is a place where sentences are served, not a place of torture or neglect. Saving lives remains our priority, even behind bars.

She emphasized that detention should never mean the deprivation of the fundamental right to health.

A commitment extended beyond the mobile clinic

In a spirit of continuity, on Thursday, February 12, a few days after the mobile clinic, a team of health officers from the Nippes department returned to the site to assess the conditions of the prison sub-center. This technical visit aims to prepare sanitation measures and strengthen health protocols within the detention area, thus confirming the DSNI's commitment to intervene not only through curative care, but also through preventive and structural actions in the prison environment.

An initiative welcomed by prison authorities

Prison officials and other relevant authorities welcomed this intervention by the Nippes Health Directorate (DSNI), emphasizing the importance of such actions in an environment where healthcare needs are often immense.

Through these activities, the Nippes Health Directorate reaffirms its commitment to guaranteeing quality care for all, without discrimination, and to strengthening community-based services for the benefit of the department's most vulnerable populations.

HL/ HaitiLibre