Haiti's dilemma: how to incorporate foreign health professionals to assist in short-term recovery while capacity building for the future

Ten months after the earthquake in Haiti, the beleaguered public health system is worse than ever. In a country that spent $58 per person per year on health care prior to the earthquake, the Ministry of Health must now deal with the excess morbidity from the disaster with even fewer resources. The healthcare system will be burdened with the increased mortality rates of victims of traumatic injury for up to 40 years. Several models of temporary personnel supplementation of Haiti’s healthcare system are currently being implemented. The most effective way to address the dearth of personnel over the coming years is to supplement the local healthcare system with volunteer foreign health professionals while capacity building for the future by training more local personnel. On our way to Port au Prince General Hospital, we drove by hills of concrete and rebar that were once the Haitian Ministry of Health. Upon entering the hospital, it was clear that more than just buildings had fallen; all coordination and organization of health care also collapsed on 12 January. Now, 10 months after the earthquake, the beleaguered public health system of Haiti is worse than ever. In a country that spent $58 per person per year on health care prior to the earthquake, the Ministry of Health must now deal with the excess morbidity from the disaster with even fewer resources. 1 A recent cholera outbreak and a hurricane have only heightened the sense of urgency to find a way to rapidly address the public health emergency that exists in Port au Prince. The most effective way to address the dearth of personnel over the next year is to supplement the local healthcare system with volunteer foreign health professionals while capacity building for the future by training more local