Overview:
As Haiti’s health ministry launches a large-scale recruitment effort, nurses across the country speak out about years of unpaid work and delayed appointments. In underserved cities like Port-de-Paix, medical staff continue to work under dire conditions, unsure if promised reforms will reach them. Their stories reflect the human toll of a system on the brink—one that may not be ready to support its newest hires.
PORT-DE-PAIX — As the world marked International Nurses Day on May 12, Haiti’s public health system teetered on the edge of collapse — with nurses unpaid, hospitals shuttered or understaffed, and thousands of patients left waiting. In a move that surprised many, the Ministry of Public Health and Population (MSPP) announced it is recruiting more than 1,000 health professionals, including 430 nurses and 300 doctors, to address the country’s growing health care crisis — even as current medical staff report years of delayed pay and deteriorating working conditions.
In the northwest city of Port-de-Paix—one of Haiti’s most underserved regions—40 of the newly hired nurses have been assigned to the city’s hospitals and clinics with critical needs. Many of these facilities have gone without adequate staffing or pay, and for some nurses, the wait for a paycheck has stretched as long as five to eight years.
“Five years after completing my studies in nursing, I have a diploma and a license. I am going to work for the first time,” said Elita Julien, one of the newly selected nurses in the seaside city of Port-de-Paix.
MSPP officials launched the recruitment campaign while dealing with mounting pressure from healthcare workers demanding better treatment, job security and years of past due payment to healthcare employees.
Yet, in Port-de-Paix, The Haitian Times found that some nurses have worked between two to five years without receiving a single paycheck.
“I have worked for eight years in the healthcare system, but I have never received a salary. The MSPP officials have not done anything to improve our conditions. I have suffered a lot,” Linise Joseph said.
“We [the nurses] have not been nominated yet. I’ve been working as an employee for five years ,” Joseph added.”
Joseph has worked three years at the Immaculate Conception Hospital and five a the Aurichien Hospital in Saint-Louis Du Nord.
Port-de-Paix understaffed hospitals await promised medical reinforcements from government
The Presidential Transitional Council (CPT) and the Prime Minister’s Office issued a joint statement in February. 24 confirming the recruitment of the registered and licensed nurses.
“In the difficult context we are facing today, it is essential to remember that our health is our future,” said Minister Sinal Bertrand while announcing the recruitment.
In addition to the nurses, midwives, and general practitioners, the government in an April notice said it is also recruiting and implementing:
- 100 dental surgeons, 100 pharmacists and 100 medical biologists (10 per department)
- Systematic appointments of scholarship doctors (from bilateral, tripartite and other programs)
- Systematic appointments of specialist doctors
Despite these announcements, skepticism remains. Maxon Valcin, a 30-year-old teacher in Port-de Paix, reacting to the new hires news whe asked if that will be enough.
“Given the problems with the health system in Haiti, recruiting approximately 430 nurses is not enough to meet the needs of the Haitian population in all regions of the country suffering from various illnesses,” Valcin said.
We don’t have any appointment letters yet. I have been working as a paid employee for eight years. I suffered a lot, so I am affected by my salary.
Linise Joseph, nurse at the Immaculate Conception Hospital in Port-de-Paix
The West and Artibonite departments are set to receive 60 and 50 healthcare professionals, respectively, while the eight other departments will each recruit 40, Bertrand, MSPP’s minister said.
National Health Week launches, but fails to reach remote areas
In April, MSPP launched the first edition of National Health Week to promote prevention and public awareness. The initiative comes as has rendered many hospitals inoperable and cut off patients from services.
The program is supposed to emphasize healthy habits and promote equitable access.
“Every woman, every child, and every person in our society deserves to benefit from quality health care, regardless of their place of residence or social status,” Bertrand said. “Health is a right for all.”
But in Port-de-Paix, residents say they’ve seen no signs of National Health Week.
“We have not seen public health workers in the cities or the countryside raising awareness about this National Public Health Week that the leaders are talking about,” said Louissillon Louissaint, a 72-year-old resident. “Our farming families are suffering from illnesses,” he added.
As health workers continue to wait for formal hiring and back pay, World Nurses Day on May 12 offers a timely reminder of the essential role nurses play—and the chronic neglect they often endure. The day, observed globally, highlights the urgent need for fair treatment, especially in regions like Haiti where nurses keep the system afloat under impossible conditions.
For many of the recruits, the selection process offered hope, but full integration into the health system remains pending.
” I am very happy, but we are still waiting for our integration,” said Julien.
At Port-de-Paix’s Immaculate Conception Hospital, patients continue to walk the courtyard in search of medical staff. During the last three months’ visits to the hospital, a firsthand shortage of personnel was observed as patients waited in vain for care.
The health crisis is further exacerbated by irregular salary payments, lack of infrastructure and equipment.
“I have been working as a nurse in the health system of the Northwest for about seven years. I never had the chance to receive a pay check,” said Dorothie Sinor, a nurse working at the Chansolme Community Health Center. Sinor is one of the new nurses recruit.
“It was very difficult for me to make ends meet.” “I wish to have better treatment when I am hired after having passed this competition organized by the MSPP.”
Gaps between promises and access to care
Still, despite this large-scale recruitment, the nurses have yet to be formally hired, and there’s no timeline for when that will happen.
Despite repeated assurances, residents in Port-de-Paix say the government has failed to deliver basic health services—especially in hard-to-reach areas like Môles Saint-Nicolas, a district 45 miles west of Port-de-Paix.
“We need healthcare, but we can’t find it in the health centers near us in the community. Our children don’t have the opportunity to be vaccinated,” said Julia Antoine, a mother in the area.
“This is happening because there is a lack of healthcare professionals in our centers. The government must strengthen services to improve our lives,” she added.
Dr. Bénèche Martial, an MSPP official, emphasized the broader stakes of a functional health system.
“When citizens are healthy, it allows them to work to strengthen the economy. It allows children to stay in school and work hard for a different society, a different Haiti. It allows the country to spend less money on health care,” he said.
For now, Haiti’s health system remains fragile—its workforce underpaid, its hospitals strained, and its people still waiting for the care they’ve been promised.