Since December 22, 2022, the resident doctors of the Hospital of the State University of Haiti (HUEH) have been on strike. Despite a Government that is deaf to their justifiable demands, the walkout has continued for more than two months.
The resident doctors who are on strike promise that other public hospitals around the nation will join them, pointing out that the HUEH’s operational conditions are identical to those of other public hospitals. The protesters are asking for the material resources required for the
good running of the hospital, which has only had 4 hours of electricity per day on average for almost a year. To stop patients from getting infections, especially in the post-operative room, improved hygienic and sanitary conditions are needed.
The resident doctors recollect that their “residence expenses” pay, which they refer to as their wage, is 12,500 Gourdes gross per month (84 US dollars per month), before income tax is deducted.
They describe the living circumstances for resident doctors as “deplorable,” citing the fact that 11 residents are housed in a room with only 3 beds, there is no running water in the showers, there is no cafeteria, and there is no washing facility.