Kidnap Haiti gang still has maternity hospital’s generator. Here’s how you can help

Moved by Haiti’s latest tragedy, the closing of a hospital after a kidnap gang stole its brand new generator, Miami Herald readers have reached out asking for an update — and how they can help the Sainte Croix Hospital in Léogâne keep its lights on and doors open.

The Rev. Jn Michelin St. Louis, director of the hospital, said the $38,000, 120-kilowatt generator remains in the hands of gang members, and the 90-bed hospital located south of Port-au-Prince has not been accepting any new patients since Thursday. This includes pregnant women who make up the majority of the hospital’s patients and babies in need of neonatal care.

“We have rooms that are currently empty and closed,” St. Louis said. “We still have an electricity problem and if we accept patients, we won’t have any power. This is why are not accepting any new patients.”

A kidnap gang stole a maternity hospital’s new generator in Haiti. Now it has to close

On Wednesday, kidnap gangs from an hour east in the Port-au-Prince neighborhood of Martissant heisted the hospital’s delivery truck along with its two drivers and newly purchased — and still not yet paid for — generator, forcing the hospital leadership to close their doors.

It was the latest hurdle hitting the hospital, which is run by the Episcopal Church and supported by the Medical Benevolence Foundation, a U.S.-based 501(c)(3) charity. The charity’s CEO, E. Andrew Mayo, said MBF has been partnering with the hospital since its beginning and provides the majority of its external funding each year. MBF has a budget of approximately $60,000 this year for the hospital to help provide services for NICU, pediatric and c-section patients who can’t pay.

It also has a solar power project underway, thanks to a small group of donors in Massachusetts. However, the initial two panels are simply not large enough to keep all the lights on all night and currently only serve the newborn nursery.

“Our greatest priority is to help the hospital become more self-sustaining, however, the last couple years have been simply ‘relief mode’ caused by the political unrest and the recent earthquake,” Mayo said.

Mayo said the hospital’s dedicated staff of 200, which includes 25 doctors and 65 nurses, has “continued to work every day, even when going to work means risking their life to kidnappers.”

“They worked throughout the night with just their cellphones,” he said.

Mayo said donated funds will be used to help the hospital pay off the debt of $38,000 that they incurred to purchase the stolen generator. That is the immediate, short-term emergency relief solution. They then can purchase a new generator, which will be delivered to the hospital under police escort — this time.

“Any additional donations received not applied to the generator will be applied to the solar power project. We have organized that so that it can be expanded in phases as money is available,” Mayo said.

Individuals wanting to donate to Sainte Croix Hospital (Hôpital St. Croix) can do so online at MBF.net or medicalmission.org. Donors should note that the funds are designated for HSC. Further details on the hospital can he found at https://medicalmission.org/hopital-ste-croix-hsc/

Donations also can be made via mail: MBF, 9555 West Sam Houston Parkway, S. Suite 170, Houston,TX 77099.