37% of the 10,329 births in the public hospital network during September 2023 were to mothers of Haitian origin, with Santo Domingo, Santiago and La Altagracia being the three provinces where the most births were recorded, Diario Libre reports.
Of all the hospitals in the public network, the Nuestra Señora de La Altagracia Maternity Hospital in the capital city has the greatest demand on behalf of Haitian mothers. The next in demand are the San Lorenzo de Los Mina Maternity (in eastern Santo Domingo) and the Presidente Estrella Ureña (in Santiago).
Diario Libre analyzed the data from the Information Repository of the National Health Service (SNS), looking for an answer to the question: Where do Haitian women in labor receive medical care?
According to the data published in the registry, during September 2023, 4,055 births were carried out in Region 0, which includes the National District and Santo Domingo, where 2,852 (70.3%) corresponded to Dominican mothers and 1,119 (29.5% ) to Haitians.
Of the 1,119 Haitian women in labor, 393 were cared for at the La Altagracia Maternity Hospital and 387 at the Los Mina Maternity Hospital. That is, in these two hospitals alone, 69.7% of the births of babies of Haitian origin occurred.
The previous month, August 2023, the balance in the region was 3,428 births, and 953 (27.8%) benefited Haitian mothers.
During that month, 318 babies of Haitian origin were born in La Altagracia and 285 in Los Mina.
A year ago, in September 2022, the balance was similar. Of 4,188 births in Greater Santo Domingo, 2,977 (71.1%) were born to mothers of Dominican origin and 1,201 (28.7%) were born to mothers from Haiti.
Santiago is the second province where the most care for birthing mothers of Haitian origin.
The SNS establishes that of 1,344 births reported in Region 2 (to which Santiago de los Caballeros belongs) in September 2023, 634 (47.2%) were to Dominican mothers and 705 (52.5%) to Haitian mothers.
When analyzing the data, taking only the reports from Santiago, it is indicated that, of 893 births in the province, 461 (51.6%) were to Haitians, with 368 births at the Presidente Estrella Ureña maternity hospital in Santiago province. In August 2023, 705 births were reported in the province, of which 44% (310) were to Haitian mothers; 250 were registered at Estrella Ureña.
In Region 5, made up of El Seibo, La Romana, Hato Mayor, San Pedro de Macorís and La Altagracia in the East, in September 2023 there were 1,229 births, and Haitian mothers accounted for 52.8% (649)
The province of La Altagracia observes the highest number of care with 424 births, 69.1% of them (293) carried out to mothers from Haiti. The hospital that attended the most births was Nuestra Señora La Altagracia, with 409 births of the 424 indicated in the province. Of these, 120 (29.3%) were Dominican births and 285 (69.7%) were Haitian births.
Take note that as of 14 September 2023, the border with Haiti was shut down.
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Diario Libre
19 October 2023