In Haiti, having a day off is welcome. Any situation, any reason is good enough to take a day of rest with friends, take care of other businesses, or even just to sit at home. This past year, the country had many occasions for “days off.” When it’s not a natural disaster, it’s political trouble. Unfortunately, “days off” also apply to the healthcare system.
Every year, Haiti celebrates Carnival forty days before Holy Friday and Easter. Because of the devastating earthquake that shook the country last year, we missed the 2010 carnival. So this year, we were ready to make up for it and pack two years of celebrations in one. Funny, though: if we’re honest with ourselves, nothing has really changed about the reasons the government canceled 2010 parade. We haven’t come very far…
The Haitian Carnival is very expensive. The 2011 allowed budget for the carnival celebration is 90 million of Gourdes (or $2,250,000 USD). This is insane you will say. It probably is crazy, but the government officials won’t miss the opportunity to earn some money from the treasury two years in a row. You see, the Carnival is perfect for money laundering. Anyway this is another side of the problem. Let’s stay focused on how the country will be turned off for almost 6 days…
From Friday March 4th to Wednesday March 9th, schools, hospitals, businesses will all be closed for Carnival celebrations. What is really funny in all this is the fact that there will be no real carnival celebration. The parade will be just a “masquerade”, a joke on the Champs-de-Mars near the Palace where 75 000 people are suffering, starving and dying under tents. Most the music bands, dance group have decided to boycott the celebration. So there will be no real carnival, but only 4 “days off.”
The C2C clinic at Grace Children Hospital will be open for a half day on Monday and closed for Mardi Gras (Tuesday) and Ash Wednesday. This will happen not because the Nurses and doctors will attend the carnival, but again because any holiday is welcome. Even in the health system. So, sadly if a lady has a problem and needs care for those days, she will have to wait for Thursday to stop by the clinic and meet a doctor. This is deeply sad and unproductive, so let’s hope everyone returns with a vigor on Thursday…
