Haiti Health Services
Doctor examining infant, Miragoâne
Courtesy Inter-American Development Bank
Modern health services were inadequate in the late
1980s. In
1982 the country had 810 physicians, 83 dentists, 758
nurses,
1,564 auxiliary nurses, and 403 health agents. Haiti had
about
one doctor for every 6,600 people and one nurse for every
8,000
people. Health services were concentrated in the capital
area.
Thus, in the most poorly served area of the country, there
was
only one physician for every 21,000 people. In the
mid-1980s,
there were thirty-eight hospitals in the country, more
than half
of which were in the Port-au-Prince area. Nongovernmental
organizations provided almost half of the health services
in the
country in the late 1980s.
Most Haitians continued to meet their health-care needs
through traditional remedies. Herbal medicine was widely
used,
especially in rural areas, although environmental
deterioration
made some herbs more difficult to obtain. In addition to
home
remedies, herbal specialists (doktè fey) provided
massage
and herbal remedies. Many voodoo specialists were also
experts in
herbal remedies. Traditional midwives assisted at most
rural
births. Many midwives received training in modern methods
from
the government. Traditional religion, used by many to
diagnose
and treat, has served well in some cases when modern
medicine was
not available.
Data as of December 1989
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