The director of the leading central regional hospital, the Hospital José María Cabral y Báez of Santiago, Dr. Daniel Espinal urged the international community cooperate to build a medical center near the Haitian frontier with the Dominican Republic. At present, because of the deficiencies in the Haitian system, hundreds of Haitian women are traveling to the DR to give birth in local public clinics. This is putting a major burden on social services, plus is creating a potential international conflict as international organizations debate whether the children born in these centers are Dominicans or Haitians. Dr. Espinal says the Haitian women primarily are coming seeking better health conditions in which to give birth. Dr. Espinal says the numbers are increasing and he is seeking upwards of 70 births to illegal Haitians per month at his hospital. Many more Haitians give birth in public hospitals that are near the frontier, such as that at Jimaní and Dajabón. Dr. Espinal forecasts an increase in Haitian births as the economic situation in Haiti worsens. He feels that a proactive solution would be to lobby to get the international community to help build a hospital in the frontier that would assist the Haitian women. He said the Dominican Republic would contribute medical personnel as needed, and assist in other ways.
