Dr. Mario Lama, director of the National Health Service (SNS), the government entity that manages public hospitals, pointed out that public hospitals service 30,000 foreign births every year, most of these Haitian women. Most women arrive at the emergency room and receive free birthing services.
Dr. Lama made the remark responding to recent findings published by The UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) on Monday, 28 February 2022. The United Nations called for a stop to the deporting of Haitian pregnant women.
“The country’s hospitals assist all human beings regardless of their migratory status, sexual preference or religious condition,” said Dr. Lama. He said public hospitals have a heavy burden given the large numbers of Haitian women seeking free services. He estimated the births cost the country around US$400 each.
The UN agency findings are:
Dominican Republic:
“There have been mass deportations of Haitian people, particularly pregnant and postpartum women, some of whom were forcibly separated from their children in the Dominican Republic. The Committee urged the state party to suspend these deportations immediately and issue permanent residence permits to Haitian women whose children were born and raised in the Dominican Republic. In addition, there are significant obstacles faced by women of Haitian origin who are undocumented or in an irregular migratory situation to register the birth of children born to a Dominican father. The Committee called on the Dominican Republic to remove all legislative barriers to ensure all such children have access to Dominican nationality.
“The Committee recommends that they immediately suspend deportations of pregnant or postpartum Haitian women and women of Haitian origin, ensure their protection against gender-based violence and discrimination, as well as that permanent residence permits be granted to Haitian women whose children were born and raised in the country, in order to maintain their right to family life, in accordance with international conventions.”
The CEDAW also expressed concern about judiciary handling gender crimes, as reported in Diario Libre.
Read more:
Noticias SIN
Diario Libre
El Caribe
Diario Libre
UN
2 March 2022