Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has officially opened a new emergency trauma, orthopaedic and visceral surgery referral centre in the Tabarre neighbourhood [east of Port-au-Prince]. Named "Nap Kenbe" this surgical referral centre is the third facility providing emergency treatment to be opened by MSF in the capital and its fourth in the region West.

With a capacity of 107 beds, the center supports the victims of accidents (traffic accidents, falls, battered or assaulted people, gunshot wounds). "MSF is now supporting the Ministry of Public Health and Population with 600 hospital beds in Haiti for emergency care. This is still far from adequate, but is nevertheless an advance,3 says Gaëtan Drossart, MSF's head of mission in Haiti.

"By bringing together Haitian health professionals and high tech equipment, the Nap Kenbe centre makes it possible to deliver high quality care in a city where many Haitians have had no access to emergency trauma treatment," explained Gaëtan Drossart. "At a time when the Haitian government and donors are working to rebuild the country, it is essential to deal with the shortcomings in high quality and accessible medical care for a very impoverished population."

The Reference Center operates on a budget of 5.5 million and an average of 150 surgeries is expected monthly.

SL/ HaitiLibre