Health Minister Makes Unprecedented Visit to Cayemites Islands

Dr. Bertrand Sinal, Minister of Public Health, paid an unprecedented visit to the Cayemites Islands as part of planning efforts to resume and complete construction of the Anse-à-Maçon health center, according to icihaiti.com. The minister was accompanied by a delegation that included Dr. Jean Mary Casimir, Departmental Director of Health for Grand'Anse, and Jean Loubert Galety, Departmental Health Administrator for Grand'Anse. Officials said completion of the center would improve access to basic healthcare for the local population and help significantly reduce maternal deaths during childbirth, a serious and persistent issue on the islands attributed to a lack of medical services and adequate infrastructure. Minister Sinal expressed hope that the work would stay on schedule, which would allow him to return in December to inaugurate the facility. Efforts to restart construction were initiated by the former Departmental Director of Health for Grand'Anse, Dr. Boutroce Gally Pierre, following a visit to the island in March 2025. That visit was prompted by an alert regarding a pregnant woman who lost her life due to a lack of local medical care and an inability to travel to Pestel or Corail because of poor weather conditions, the outlet reported.