An ultrasound machine can help a team monitor a pregnancy, examine a patient, or guide treatment. A fetal monitor is used to track a baby’s heart rate before delivery. In the operating room, an anesthesia machine, sterilization equipment, and functional surgical instruments are among the equipment needed to perform procedures under optimal conditions.
This equipment is among the items included in the support provided by Zanmi Lasante to Sainte-Thérèse Hospital in Hinche. The shipment also includes a defibrillator, patient monitors, spirometers, hospital beds, as well as equipment used daily in the wards, including scales for newborns and children, trays for cesarean sections and hysterectomies, stretchers, privacy screens, and patient transport equipment.
In total, this contribution is valued at over 237,000 U.S. dollars. The equipment is intended for use in several departments, including surgery, maternity, emergency care, pediatrics, and inpatient units.
On September 17, 2026, Zanmi Lasante and Sainte-Thérèse Hospital formalized this phase of their collaboration during an equipment handover ceremony. The two institutions also signed a new memorandum of understanding, continuing a relationship that began in 2004.
This collaboration has taken various forms over the years, depending on the needs of the hospital and its departments. In particular, Zanmi Lasante has mentored the teams and provided various types of support to the hospital. For Milsoit Denold, executive director of Sainte-Thérèse Hospital, the September handover represents a special milestone in this shared history.
“ “Since the partnership began, this is the first time that Sainte-Thérèse Hospital in Hinche has received such a large quantity of supplies in a single donation.”
The significance of this contribution, however, lies not only in the number of items donated. Sainte-Thérèse Hospital has 252 beds and treats patients with a wide range of needs, whether for childbirth, emergency care, surgery, pediatric care, or inpatient treatment. For the professionals providing these services, having the right equipment available when it’s needed is one of the basic requirements for properly caring for a patient.
The needs remain significant. Dr. Wolve Irvens Charles, the Central Departmental Director of Health, noted during the ceremony that several healthcare facilities are facing difficulties in replacing their equipment and maintaining certain services, particularly following the reduction or cessation of certain international funding.
These difficulties ultimately affect patient care. When a device is unavailable or no longer functioning, a team may have to adjust a treatment plan, delay an examination, or refer a patient to another facility. For a family with limited resources, having to seek care elsewhere can represent an additional cost and delay access to care.
The provision of new equipment therefore addresses very concrete needs. Ultrasound machines and fetal monitoring equipment can support maternity teams. Anesthesia machines, surgical instruments, and sterilization equipment directly support the work performed in the operating room. Monitors, stretchers, and patient transport equipment can be used at various stages of care in the emergency room or on inpatient wards. The list also includes many simpler, less visible instruments that are nonetheless essential to the day-to-day operation of a hospital.
However, the availability of equipment is only part of the story. To continue serving patients, this equipment must be properly assigned, used, and maintained. Monitoring by biomedical teams will be particularly important for devices that must remain functional for several years.
Dr. Reginald J. Fils-Aimé, Senior Director of Strategic Planning at Zanmi Lasante, emphasized this responsibility during the handover.
“The value of equipment lies not only in its purchase price, but also in its ability to be properly used, maintained, and preserved to serve the public.”
This focus on maintenance is essential. Equipment that no longer functions can no longer meet the need for which it was acquired. The true value of this contribution will therefore also be measured over time, by the availability of the equipment in the departments and its ability to continue supporting the teams’ work with patients.
Sainte-Thérèse Hospital is also preparing to celebrate its centennial in 2027. Nearly a century after it first opened its doors, the needs the hospital addresses have evolved, as have the care provided, medical technologies, and the equipment required to deliver them.
The relationship between Zanmi Lasante and the hospital has also evolved since 2004. The agreement signed in September allows the two institutions to continue this collaboration and to keep working together to identify the needs they can address.