Data is essential for running an organization like Zanmi Lasante. It tells us the number of consultations, hospitalizations, or procedures performed and allows us to track our results. But it doesn’t always tell the whole story.
It doesn’t necessarily show what it means for a team to work every day in a ward that has become too small, nor what it means for a patient to have to wait outside due to a lack of space. That is why I consider regular visits to our sites to be an important responsibility of my role as executive director.
Last week, our executive team visited Tilory, Cerca-la-Source, and Belladère. Our goal was, of course, to observe how the facilities operate, but above all to follow up on the observations made during previous visits, assess the changes that have been implemented, and speak directly with the teams about the challenges that remain.
At Tilory and Cerca-la-Source, we noted several improvements. Efforts to keep the facilities clean and improve the patient experience are evident. At Cerca-la-Source, in particular, the issues related to the maternity beds that we had previously noted have been resolved with the installation of new beds.
These changes may seem modest when summarized in a report. For a woman giving birth, a hospitalized patient, or a staff member who works in these spaces every day, however, they have very tangible significance.
This is also our approach to follow-up: identify a problem, agree on a solution, take action, and then return to verify what has actually changed. When the same difficulties persist from one visit to the next, it is our responsibility to understand what is holding things back and to make the necessary decisions.
Belladère: Adapting Our Response to a New Reality
The situation in Belladère now illustrates a much greater challenge. Since the closure of the Mirebalais University Hospital, the Belladère Hospital has faced a considerable increase in demand. This pressure is particularly evident in maternal health. While the hospital previously performed about 16 to 17 cesarean sections per month, the teams have reported peaks exceeding 80 procedures per month. Prenatal visits have also increased significantly.
However, infrastructure has not kept pace. Patients and their companions sometimes have to wait outside, under the trees. The maternity, emergency, and inpatient wards are no longer adequate for the volume of patients the hospital is receiving today.
We must therefore take action on two fronts. In the short term, we will strengthen our teams—particularly in obstetric care—and find solutions to rapidly increase the available space for maternity, emergency, and internal medicine inpatient care.
In the medium term, if this increase in demand continues, a more structural response will be necessary. We must explore options for renovating and expanding the hospital, assess the necessary resources, and continue discussions with the Ministry of Public Health and Population regarding the next steps.
This situation also reminds us of a broader reality: our network must continue to adapt to the significant changes in the demand for care caused by the current crisis. We must be able to quickly identify sites under new pressure and adjust our resources, our teams, and, when necessary, our infrastructure accordingly.
A consistent standard across our entire network
Field visits do not replace data, oversight mechanisms, or the responsibilities of local teams. They complement them.
They provide a better understanding of what the numbers really mean, allow us to listen to those providing care, observe the patient journey, and verify that the decisions made are producing the expected changes.
They are also a way for the Executive Management to maintain closeness and solidarity with our teams, particularly during such a difficult time for our institution and for the country.
Finally, they remind us that, regardless of the location, our standards must remain the same: quality care, respect for patients’ dignity, and conditions that enable our teams to do their jobs properly.
It is this standard that must guide our decisions. And when we make a commitment on the ground, we must have the discipline to follow up on it to assess what has actually changed.
Dr. Wesler Lambert
Executive Director
Zanmi Lasante