On Monday December 23, a sense of normalcy prevailed at Hospital Justinien; the most important hospital in Haiti’s Northern region. This, despite persistent and surprising rain which affected the region for more than a week. Nestled in the heart Haiti’s historic city of Cap-Haitien, the Justinien University Hospital (JUH) is the largest public hospital in northern Haiti and the second-largest teaching hospital in the country. Thanks to a variety of available services, the hospital serves a population of over 1 million from Cap-Haitien and surrounding areas.
Even though the demand for services is high, the newly appointed manager - Dr. Turenne Calil - remains calm and focused. For over a year now, the hospital has been powered by renewable energy, which provides 60 to 75% of its energy needs. “For nearly ten years now, the city of Cap Haitian has struggled with energy supply through the national grid. To run the hospital, we used to rely on diesel generators as access to energy is fundamental for a hospital of this category”, said Dr. Calil.
The pressure on the hospital has increased due to limited access to the metropolitan area’s health facilities and internal migration. According to the Rapid Crisis Impact Assessment, gang violence has left a large portion of health care infrastructure in the metropolitan area damaged or destroyed. Out of 93 health care institutions with beds in the metropolitan area of Port au Prince, 65 have been closed, totally or partially damaged, looted or destroyed. This situation has placed significant strain on regional facilities, particularly in Cap Haitien, as the second largest metropolitan area outside of Port au Prince.
Less than one in two Haitians have access to energy
The electricity sector poses a major constraint to economic and social development in Haiti, including healthcare. According to the latest Tracking Sustainable Development Goal 7 Report, access to electricity currently stands at 45 percent, with a dramatic disparity between urban and rural areas. Average electricity tariffs are among the highest globally at US$35/kWh due to reliance on costly imported fossil fuels and operational inefficiencies of the national utility.
Haiti’s reliance on diesel fuel as an alternative is extremely costly, contributes to negative climate impacts and local air pollution, and exacerbates fiscal deficits. “We used to buy 120 gallons of diesel every day, which would cost nearly US$ 22,000 per month. The installation of the renewable energy system has allowed us to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels by more than 60%. Now, we reallocate these funds to other services and improve the quality of care offered,” said Agnès Bérénice Surfin Etienne, administrator of Justinien University Hospital.
Even when compared to other low-income countries, Haiti’s health outcomes are poor, and progress has been limited. Poor health outcomes are linked to persistent poverty, poor access and quality of care, inadequate community engagement, and low levels of service utilization, among others. All reasons why the provision of an independent power source to healthcare facilities is important.
An innovative approach to increase access to services
Renewable energy technologies have the potential to replace fossil fuels, resulting in cleaner, more reliable, affordable and sustainable electricity access. This is true for healthcare and other public sector facilities, which not only generate significant fiscal savings, but also include benefits to overall healthcare performance and to the users who will have longer hours of access to better quality services.
The Ministries of Health and Public Works have joined efforts to provide clean energy access via a solar photo voltaic and battery storage system in five major hospitals in Haiti, benefiting more than 1.5 million persons in the southern and northern regions for better health care services. "Access to energy is vital for a hospital as we have a lot of equipment that requires a reliable source of electricity to be operational," said Dr. Pitherson Gauthier, responsible of the Port Salut Community Hospital. "Today, we rely 100 % on clean energy to run the hospital.”
The renewable energy systems have also reduced health facilities’ exposure to recurrent diesel shortages which have increased with insecurity in the Metropolitan area of Port au Prince, as access to the oil terminal and roads to the southern and northern peninsulas have been severely disrupted.
Haiti’s healthcare system has taken a significant leap forward with the implementation of solar photovoltaic and battery storage systems in five major hospitals including Cap-Haitien. This groundbreaking initiative, completed in December 2024, is revolutionizing healthcare delivery in the country's southern and northern regions
Thanks to funding from the International Development Association of the World Bank, the Port Salut and Camp Perin hospitals are provided with energy 24/7, while the Cap Haitian, Jacmel and les Cayes hospitals benefited from 60 to 80 % of their daily energy consumption. This technical work was completed in partnership with UNOPS and in close collaboration with local firms, who will handle technical follow up and maintenance, when needed.
“It is relevant that we can offer quality services at the hospital while reducing the carbon footprint. I highly recommend that this innovative approach can be replicated in other health facilities to enhance healthcare offerings, minimize the health facilities running coast and reducing climate’s negative impact” said Dr Turenne Calil.
As this initiative successfully crosscuts the health and energy sectors, two additional hospitals (Hinche and Jeremie) will benefit from similar systems with provision of up to 70% and 100 % independent renewable energy, respectively. A fully built departmental warehouse at Jeremie will also be equipped with a reliable and renewable energy system, enabling power autonomy 24/7.
