A Bright Light for Haiti
With the installation of a new generator and electrical system, Centre de Santé Sacré-Cœur de Thiotte will be able to provide more accessible and reliable care to the rural population it’s served for the past two decades.
On the evening of December 16, 2021, residents of Thiotte, Haiti gathered around the community’s primary health clinic, the Centre de Santé Sacré-Cœur de Thiotte (CSST), taking pictures. CSST has been a vital resource in the community for over 20 years, but tonight it looked distinctly different. For the first time in over 5 years, CSST had reliable power throughout the facility, and the lights were shining.
CSST was founded by Haiti Medical Mission of Wisconsin (HMMW) at the invitation of the local community as a mission site for visiting medical volunteers. Recognizing the importance of sustainable, community-driven healthcare, over the past 2 decades HMMW’s partnership with CSST and role within the community has evolved, no longer serving as only a mission site for short-term volunteers but instead as a collaborative effort directed by Haitians which employs local Haitian doctors, nurses, pharmacists, lab technicians, and community health workers.
With this evolution, CSST’s impact accelerated, providing opportunities for both comprehensive healthcare access and economic mobility to the remote region of over 160,000 people. Thanks to CSST, the immunization rate for childhood infectious diseases within the area is 70%, as compared to the national average of 20%. The clinic also partners with the Ministry of Health to sponsor medical rotations for Haitian doctors and nurses in training from around the country. The healthcare facility also operates integral programs with support from USAID.
This impact is no small feat, especially considering that over the past 5 years, CSST operated without consistent electricity. When the clinic was originally built over 20 years ago, a generator and batteries were installed. However, over time, due to age and limited maintenance, the power supply became less efficient. By 2017 CSST’s generator and batteries were barely functioning and by 2018 they were producing less than one hour of power a day.
Thiotte, where CSST is located, is a rural mountainous commune in South-East, Haiti which is off the electrical grid. It is a 5–6 hour drive to Haiti’s capital city of Port-au-Prince, and the roads between the two cities are rough and dangerous, even in the best of times. Haiti Medical Missions of Wisconsin knew that in order to provide comprehensive, accessible healthcare to the community, renewing access to reliable power was essential. That’s when they reached out to Build Health International. In September 2021, BHI began the process of renovating CSST’s power generation, electrical, and water systems, including upgrading critical biomedical equipment.
On the ground, this effort was led by Jimmy Forest, BHI’s Electrical and Renewable Energy General Supervisor. A Haitian himself, Jimmy shared that he and his team were motivated by a greater purpose each day they worked on Thiotte. With the current political instability in Haiti that has risen following the assassination of Haiti’s president in July 2021, the road between Thiotte and Port-au-Prince has become particularly dangerous — making a trip from Thiotte to the capital not only inaccessible but prohibitive. Jimmy shares, “When we were doing this project, we said, okay, now the people of Thiotte don’t need to cross the road to get care. We will help them get healthcare in Thiotte in the clinic. We are doing this job because we can save lives.”
To bring power to Thiotte, Jimmy and his team of Haitian carpenters, laborers, and plumbers installed a diesel-powered generator and accompanying electrical and plumbing systems. Remotely, they consulted with BHI project managers and biomedical engineers to coordinate the planning and installation of equipment. In addition to electrical systems, CSST was also updated with new windows, paint, and construction upgrades.
With a new electrical system in place, the care possible at CSST will increase exponentially. For example, as Jimmy shares, “We installed a new operation room light so now the doctors can operate on people.” While the installation of a new and efficient generator marks a major milestone in the evolution of CSST, in the coming years, Haiti Medical Mission of Wisconsin hopes to further engage with BHI to install a solar system. The work that Jimmy and his team recently completed in Thiotte has laid the groundwork for a future solar installation.
Although solar panels are more expensive to install than a generator alone, they are the most reliable and sustainable option. Fuel to power the generator can be difficult to obtain and can consume up to a quarter of the health care facility’s monthly budget. A solar powered system at CSST will ensure that the clinic has access to power without having to rely on diesel. Until that day, CSST’s new generator and electrical system upgrade is a step in the right direction. As CSST continues to evolve, as it has over the past two decades, its mission remains the same: to strengthen and build greater health care capacity for those in Thiotte and surrounding communities.
Haiti Medical Mission of Wisconsin (HMMW) serves the people of rural and remote southeast Haiti by improving access to health care through a partnership with and direct support of Centre de Santé Sacré-Cœur de Thiotte (CSST). In solidarity and collaboration, HMMW builds greater Haitian-based capacity for quality, dignified, and locally accessible care.
Olivia Duggan is Build Health International’s Communication Manager. She writes about the intersections of health and infrastructure, with a focus on the impact of BHI’s work on fragile health systems.
