In a hospital, water is vital for hygiene and patient care, from sanitation to cleanliness, from medical procedures to the daily needs of patients and their families. Water is an indispensable element, because as the saying goes, “water is life.”
Yet imagine a hospital with over 80,000 patients; where 100 deliveries take place per month and 2 caesarean sections are performed per day, but where access to water is so limited that patients suffer.
For more than 20 years, the Notre Dame de la Nativité hospital in Belladère had been facing severe water shortages that affected services at multiple levels. Built in 1948, the hospital was given a boost in 2003 thanks to the implementation of Zanmi Lasante’s HIV and tuberculosis care program. Today, the Notre Dame de la Nativité de Belladère hospital serves a population of 82,655 inhabitants of Belladère as well as the communes of Savanette, Baptiste and Lascahobas.
Over the years, several efforts have been made, including the drilling of wells and the installation of a water supply system, but numerous difficulties have hampered these efforts. For example, the hospital was using 3 to 4 truckloads of water per week, which meant exorbitant, unsustainable expenses. What’s more, this water often came from rivers and therefore had to be treated beforehand to avoid putting patients and visitors at risk.
In 2023, ZL’s WASH (Water Sanitation Hygiene) team relaunched the water supply project and managed to finalize it by the end of the year. Today, the installed system supplies water not only to the hospital but also to the population of Belladère. Two water pipes have been added, one of which is dedicated entirely to the community, providing around 2 to 5 hours of water several times a week. Several tanks and a water tower were built on the hospital site facilitating the collection but also the storage of water up to an average of 21,000 gallons.
“The community has benefited greatly from this projectThe first time, it went badly, but this time, everyone is happy.” - Mr. Claudy Bazin, Administrator, Hôpital Notre Dame de la Nativité de Belladère
This water supply project has a triple impact. Firstly, it provides the Belladère community with regular access to water for the very first time, a social support that strengthens the ties forged with this population over several decades. Since December 2023, a considerable drop in cholera cases in the area has been noted, inevitably linked to the availability of drinking water. Secondly, this project will enable a substantial reduction in costs, as these funds will be reallocated to the hospital to provide more patient care. But more than that, it contributes to the improvement of the care provided by the hospital; it reinforces hygiene and gives priority to the health of patients. Mr. Bazin expressed his gratitude to the ZL WASH team for making this project a reality in Belladère.
ZL continues to seek innovative solutions to improve the quality of care provided throughout the network. The WASH team, through this project, continues to emphasize the community input that ZL provides wherever the institution operates. Because at ZL we fight social injustice to provide healthcare to all those who need it most.
