Haiti's Lawlessness

Photo by John Carroll

Everyday lawlessness in Haiti is so destructive. It doesn't always make headlines, but it is deadly. 

Haitian Hearts has been supplying a Haitian patient with medication for 20 years. She has had three heart surgeries and is a survivor if there ever was one. 

In the past we have hand-delivered her medicine, sent it with friends, with volunteers we have never met, and with other Haitian Hearts patients. We have sent it on commercial jets, and on small local domestic jets from one part of Haiti to another. 

And several weeks ago we sent her six months of medication using a private shipping service from South Florida to Port-au-Prince. And the medication arrived just fine and is waiting for her with another Haitian Hearts patient.

So what is the problem, you might ask. 

Well, our patient is not able to access her medication due to the gang violence in the capital which makes it very dangerous for her to go from her home to the home of the person holding her medication. 

So until this problem is solved and she is able to pick up her medication, we are sending her money to buy some of her medication from pharmacies or on the street in her neighborhood in Port.

Clearly, Haiti is not functioning. And we hear about the ever-present dysfunctional government, deportees returning to Haiti, and the most recent earthquake that rocked southern Haiti a couple of days ago. But plain everyday lawlessness is much more dangerous to most people, including our patient, who are presently living very constricted lives.

John A. Carroll, MD

www.haitianhearts.org