Since 2001, Konbit Sante has been working in the greater Cap-Haitien area to improve the quality of care for its 25,000 residents. To accomplish this, we have partnered with 4 major health-care facilities in the Cap-Haitien area to identify and remedy the needs that compromise the quality of care. This project focuses on the procurement and management of critical medical supplies and equipment.
Caregivers cannot depend on having functioning equipment or a steady supply of essential supplies due to lack of financial resources and an undependable supply chain. Our aim is to strengthen the capacity of these Haitian health-care facilities to save lives by having critical materials available where and when they are needed.
Konbit Sante maintains a warehouse in Maine where equipment and supplies are received and inventoried, and where partners can requisition the type and quantity that they need to have on hand. Each year, $150,000 to $200,000 worth of these requested items are shipped via 40-foot containers to Cap-Haitien at a cost of $10,000 per container. The goal of this project is to fund shipment of one 40-foot container of essential supplies and equipment annually.
Konbit Sante has sent 19 containers of medical supplies and equipment to our partners during the past 17 years. Each amounts to a more than 15-to-1 return on the shipping investment in terms of the value on the ground. Since we have a full-time presence in Cap-Haitien, we work with our partners to ensure these supplies reach the patients in need as intended. We also provide support to biotechnicians to assure that equipment is well-maintained, and train care providers in their use.
