El Siglo newspaper reports that Dominican and Cuban physicians serve 90% of the Haitian population in towns near the frontier with the Dominican Republic. The story reports on the small contingents of Cuban physicians based in a few clinics located in rural Haiti near the large Dominican cities of Dajabón and Juana Mendez that have been successful in reducing the number of Haitians that cross the frontier. Recently, Dominican authorities have urged the securing of international cooperation to set up clinics near the Dominican-Haitian frontier, that could be staffed by Dominican medics to reduce the burden on Dominican public hospitals. The Dominican public hospitals of General Melenciano in Jimaní and Rosa Duarte in Elías Piña receive the largest numbers of Haitians. The Haitians prefer the Dominican clinics because they are the closest medical centers and services are better and free. The clinics will even pay for the transporting of the patients to large medical centers if necessary. Haitian rural clinics are staffed with a doctor and a nurse, and there is a charge for whatever services may be available. The director of the Elías Piña hospital, Rafael Robles, said that that hospital has to dedicate 60% of its budget to service the Haitians. El Siglo reporters ascertained that the Haitians have access to the same services as the Dominicans. The physicians say the Dominicans are concerned they may catch contagious diseases which affect a good number of Haitians visiting the public hospitals. Medical directors say this is an additional financial burden on the hospitals that will now have to build separate wards for the increase in patients with contagious diseases.
