Stranded at the Hospital in Haiti
In Haiti, where most people live on less than $2 a day, free obstetric care is a much-needed service. It's provided through a partnership between Haiti's government, Canada and the World Health Organization. But even free care doesn't come cheap for some. Christianne Lenay and her husband Paul Anel are both subsistence farmers. They were stranded at the public hospital in Hinche in Haiti's Central Plateau for more than a week.
Christianne Lenay had to be carried into the hospital. She delivered a baby at home. It died. But her placenta didn't come out. When that happens, the uterus doesn’t contract properly, which causes internal bleeding.
In the maternity ward, a nurse-midwife is removing the placenta by hand.
Nurse: “Collabore! Collabore! Nou presque fini.” [Collaborate! Collaborate! We're almost done.]
Christianne: [inaudible]
Christianne is severely anemic. She gets a blood transfusion and starts to feel better.
Three days later Christianne is recovering in the hospital. She's been pregnant four times.
Christianne: “I gave birth to three kids but they are not alive. All are dying during the delivery. And this one died also.”
Christianne hasn’t had to pay anything for her medical care. But even free care comes with costs for her and her husband Paul.
Here, like at many Haitian hospitals, patients have to bring their own sheets, and even a bucket for a chamber pot. Paul's had to buy medicine for Christianne, and he's had to buy all of their food.
Now another expense is looming: getting home.
Paul: “Bon, I don't really have a big idea about what I can do to go back home because I have to pay for me, my wife and for another neighbor that came with us.”
It would take two days to walk back to the village where Christianne and Paul live. They got a free ride here when Christianne was sick, but now they don't have a way to get back.
Paul: “I don't really have the opportunity to pay the taxi to go back home.”
A taxi for all three would cost 300 Haitian Goudes, less than 8 US dollars. Paul looks desperate.
Four days later, Christianne and Paul are still here. It's been a week.
Christianne: “That's true that we are here for a long time, and we're out of money, so we can't even take a motorcycle to go home.”
Paul has spent all his money and borrowed more. He's slept on the floor of the hospital and gone without food some days so Christianne could eat the iron-rich food she needs.
After four pregnancies, Christianne and Paul are childless. They both still want kids.
Paul: “Bon, the reason why I said I would try to have children, because when my father was dead I stayed and helped my family with the funerals. And I think that if I have children they will do the same for me tomorrow.”
The midwives here advised them to wait so Christianne's body can recover. Paul says he wants to wait three months.
As for Christianne, she's thinking five years.
The next day, they're gone.
Jenny Asarnow reported from Haiti on a fellowship from the International Reporting Project (IRP).
[Editor's note: The interpreter you hear, Natasha, gave Christianne and Paul a small amount of money.]
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