Sunday, November 14, 2010

Aid Spawns Backlash in Haiti

Despite increased international response to its devastating earthquake, Haitian health care has not managed to be revitalized. Haiti's most prominent hospital, L'Hôpital de l'Universite d'Etat d'Haiti, is still not getting the medical reconnaissance it deserves. This is primarily due in part to the the bureaucracy that surrounds new allocation of funds from the Haitian government to charitable organizations. The NGOs also seem to have a disconnect in the implementation of this cost-allocation system. They are losing the ability to funnel the much-needed money through their top-down implementation approach. While there are clearly defined goals in helping this hospital care for earthquake victims and general patients, the objectives have not seemed to translate so explicitly to the lower levels in the chain of command.

1 comment:

  1. It seems to me that the diaster stricken areas of the world recieve a backlash of aid. They recieve a huge lump sum at the start of rebuilding and are unable to recieve funding to finish the projects. In another article of the blog, a school was having finacial difficulties due to the maintence and rebuilding costs of educational buildings. If these countries do not recieve the aid to finish projects their economies will be damamaged for years to come. If a nation can not provide education to its labor force is bound to suffer in the global economy. Also, if infrastructure is not maintained and rebuilt countries can be plagued with unsafe, and hazardous living conditions. These conditions can lower life expectancy.
    -Mitchell Kellman

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