The director of the maternity area of the Presidente Estrella Ureña public hospital in Santiago says that 40 to 45% of the pregnant women treated at the hospital are undocumented Haitians. Birthing tourism from Haiti is large, as Haitians come by the thousands to receive the free medical care. The hospital also serves the large Haitian population resident in the Cibao.
According to Juan Ferreras, director of the hospital, the Haitians receive the same services offered to Dominicans. The public hospital is mostly used by the poor, as those on medical insurance plans are more likely to seek out services at larger centers that accept medical plans that feature a small deductible.
The Presidente Estrella Ureña hospital maternity hall is now the main public gynecology and obstetrics service for the Cibao region after it took over the maternity services previously offered by the Jose María Cabral y Baez Hospital, the largest public hospital in the Cibao.
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Listin Diario
7 March 2018
