Since December 1998, Saintalie Celestin has begun her days at Hôpital Bon Sauveur de Cange with the certainty that her work has a direct impact on the health and dignity of patients. After twenty-seven years of uninterrupted service with Zanmi Lasante,Saintalie, affectionately known as Madame Renaud, is one of those discreet presences without whom the hospital could not function.
Madame Renaud holds the position of waitress. In a medical environment, this role involves cleaning and disinfecting care areas, bedrooms, corridors and communal areas according to strict protocols. These daily gestures contribute directly to infection prevention, patient safety and the working conditions of care teams. A clean environment reduces risks, protects the most vulnerable and enables care to take place in safe conditions.
Over the years, Madame Renaud has also become a femme de confiance. This term does not correspond to an official title, but to a recognition acquired over time. Her regularity, discretion, sense of responsibility and in-depth knowledge of the hospital have made her someone teams can rely on. Being a trustworthy woman means taking her work seriously, looking after details and contributing to the smooth running of the collective, day after day.
For Madame Renaud, cleanliness is an integral part of care. She believes that patients deserve to be welcomed into an orderly, respectful and safe space. She knows that many come to hospital worried, weakened or in a highly vulnerable state. Providing a clean and dignified setting is a first form of respect.
Every day, she meticulously maintains the rooms, corridors and care areas. This work demands constancy, attention and endurance. It also requires a keen understanding of hospital rhythms, emergencies and busy times. Madame Renaud adapts, anticipates and acts calmly, aware that her role directly supports the work of nurses, doctors and all staff.
Over the course of her career, she has seen the hospital evolve, departments transform, notably the Santé Fanm department which became the maternity ward. She has lived through demanding periods, sometimes marked by difficult working conditions. These experiences have reinforced a deep-seated conviction. Every function counts. No role is secondary. When everyone takes their task seriously, the whole system holds together.
The results of her commitment are concrete. Safer care environments. Patients who feel respected from the moment they arrive. Teams who can focus on medical care in a controlled environment. Her work is silent, but it directly influences the quality of care and the dignity accorded to each person welcomed.
After twenty-seven years of continuous presence, Madame Renaud embodies a form of commitment based on constancy, respect and a sense of duty. She reminds us that the quality of care also relies on those who prepare the framework in which medicine can be practiced.
“At Zanmi Lasante, no one is useless. Every task, every effort and every act of service contributes to healing patients. Let us always work with respect, humility and love so that we can continue to offer humane and dignified care to those who need it most.”
To support Zanmi Lasante is to support all the women and men who make care possible, in the field and behind the scenes. Your support helps maintain safe, dignified and functional care environments, essential to the health of Haiti’s most vulnerable populations.