Medical Care, Surgeries, and Childbirth For Haitian Citizens Is Costing Dominican Goverment a Fortune.

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Editor
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Treating Haitian patients is costing the Dominican Republic government a fortune, according to reports from the Health Ministry.
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By Editor-June 28th, 2023.

Approximately 26% to 30% of the Dominican Republic’s total public health budget is allocated to medical care for foreign patients, including a large amount for maternity services for Haitian women in labor, births of babies, and other medical treatments.

This includes treating some emergencies who are transported from Haiti to hospitals in the Dominican Republic.

Dr. José A. Matos, Vice Minister of Quality Assurance at the Dominican Ministry of Public Health, recently gave an example of a woman who was transported from Haiti to the Restoration municipal hospital in critical condition, having given birth in Haiti and suffering from postnatal severe bleeding.

After receiving a blood transfusion and other necessary treatments, her condition improved, although she still required additional transfusions due to kidney injury.

Dr. Matos also revealed that the Dominican Republic  has witnessed a decrease in maternal mortality rates, although hypertensive disorders of pregnancy such as preeclampsia, bleeding, and infections remain the primary causes of maternal deaths.

The arrival of Haitian mothers in critical conditions further exacerbates the situation.

During 2021, the National Health Service (SNS) records having granted 500,783 external consultations nationwide, of which 44,260 corresponded to Haitian foreigners, that is, 8.4%.
Of 368,341 emergencies, 41,815 correspond to citizens of the neighboring nation (11.3%), laboratory tests amount to 1,711,324, of which 59,671 were performed on Haitians, that is, 9.3%. Of 39,972 hospitalizations carried out nationwide, 17% corresponded to Haitian citizens.
Surgical procedures reached 29,489, of which 3,037 were performed on Haitian nationals, which represents 10.3%.
According to SNS statistics, in 2020 50,585 children were born, of which 10,836 were from Haitian mothers, which is equivalent to 21.4%. Of those births, 23,747 were born by cesarean section, that is, 46.9%. In 2019, the budget for health exceeded RD$81.200 million, of which RD$4.352 million were needed to assist 1,098,233 foreign patients.

The population with the greatest presence is Haitian with 1,060,413 citizens, which is equivalent to 96.7%, while 37,820 citizens of other nationalities were served.

Assistance to Haitians in that year amounted to RD$4,196 million, which represented 5.1% of the general health budget.

Among the most required care by Haitians that year are: 536,688 consultations in which RD$427.2 million were invested.

For emergencies, the Dominican State invested RD$2,116.7 million, which represents 50.4% of what was consumed by that population.

Immigrants of other nationalities accessed medical services that cost the State RD$156.2 million, equivalent to 3.6%.

For pregnancies and births, RD$922.8 million was used for the 55,578 cases demanded by Haitian foreigners. RD$172.5 million was invested in 19,289 deliveries and RD$160.3 million was spent for the 8,708 cesarean sections.

Sources: Eldinero.com, Dominican Today.
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