By Jim Grant | Executive Director
Just this past August, there was a surge in the number of mothers coming to MN to deliver their babies. While there are always month to month fluctuations, and even seasonal highs and lows for new births, August was an unofficial record setter, with over 90 healthy babies brought into the world by our dedicated and hard working midwifery staff in that one month. It seems that the public hospital in the nearby town of Les Cayes had reinstated previously waived fees for deliveries, and MN's reputation for exceptional care and no fees, ever, drew a significant portion of their patients to our facility.
People often ask why we continue to offer free services, when it appears that at least some percentage of the population in our zone of service could afford to pay at least a minimal fee? The answer is twofold: there is no way to easily distinguish someone with a little extra money from someone who has none, and in many cases, the little bit they might pay for our services would be better spent on food, cooking fuel, a child's school tuition, or any number of other important expenses.
When you consider that our average cost for an uncomplicated delivery, US $115, is only one percent of the average cost of a hospital delivery in the USA, all of the babies born at MN in August were delivered for less than the cost of one in this country! This is not simply a reflection of the economic differences that exist between the USA and Haiti, but more importantly, the result of the efficiency, competence, and above all, dedication of our staff to our mission, to significantly reduce maternal and infant mortality rates in communities like the one that they live and work in.
Amidst the highest infant and maternal mortality rates in the western hemisphere, $115 is a small price to pay for the midwifery services to deliver a healthy baby to a healthy mother and potentially save a life!
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By Jim Grant | Executive Director
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