Dominican Authorities will spend RDS$1,000 million on health care for Haitians

posted on: Mar 30 2010 9:17 by Royston. Viewed 339 times.


Public Health Minister Bautista Rojas Gomez, revealed yesterday that investment in patient care for Haitians this year could exceed  RD$1,000 million due to the impact of the Jan. 12th earthquake.

Rojas Gomez said that the movement of Haitians within the country from Port au Prince to areas in the north and south of Haiti where there are no good health care centers has resulted in a significant increase in patients coming to hospitals in the Dominican Republic in search of health services.

He indicated that this is particularly true in the case of pregnant women who come to maternity centers such as Nuestra Senora de la Altagracia in Santo Domingo.

"Being aware of this situation, health authorities in the Dominican Republic are prepared to offer such cooperation without affecting the services of Dominicans who come to our hospitals," he said.

He said that for the Government of the Dominican Republic health is a human right that must be addressed, apart from issues of race, religion or politics.