Boosting Pre-Hospital Care: The Driver of New Leadership at the CAN

PORT-AU-PRINCE.— The Director General of the National Ambulance Center, Renand Aristide, presented the results of a prospecting tour conducted in the North of the country. This was an opportunity for the official to conduct a complete diagnosis of the proximity services offered by the institution. During his stay, Me Renand Aristide installed departmental directors for the North and Northwest with the aim of strengthening, he said, the regional administrative foundations of the CAN. Unhealthy Practices, a Handicap for the CAN's Mission Returning to the capital last weekend, the Director General also reported that it was an evaluation visit. “It was important for me to see if the CAN has preserved its identity and mission within communities so that we can make decisions,” Aristide emphasized. The Director General of the CAN admitted to having identified certain problems in the functioning of the ambulance service in several remote areas. “We received a warm welcome, but there were complaints among the local populations: some agents are still charging fees for the service,” he lamented. The Mobility Problem in the Region, a Good Pretext for Accused Agents Despite agents having demanded fees from beneficiaries, ambulances are not always available. “Most vehicles are immobilized in the garage for just a broken seat or a spark plug,” Aristide stated, emphasizing that in some places there isn't even an ambulance available. “As for the fleet, it is obsolete. We had 120 vehicles, but half are no longer operational,” he said, adding that repair work has been undertaken since his appointment to the general management of the CAN. “In Port-au-Prince, we have gone from 3 vehicles available for rescue operations to 7, not counting those assigned to the Prime Minister's office and the Villa d'Accueil, at the airport entrance, the MSPP, etc.,” the official rejoiced, stating he hopes to renew the fleet with more than 150 ambulances. Necessary Measures Renand Aristide announced recovery measures for the CAN to correct the discrepancies. “First, we will take appropriate decisions to return to free services,” Renand Aristide assured. The Director General also announced an administrative inquiry into fuel distribution in provincial towns. “The agents interviewed cited the fuel problem to justify the fees claimed, even though I know that the State distributes fuel for all ambulances,” he maintained. Regarding access to high-risk areas, Renand Aristide is pragmatic: Maintain the CAN at the forefront of ambulance services and pre-hospital care in all the most disadvantaged communities while ensuring the safety of its personnel. “We always do what is necessary to access sensitive areas. The CAN has no race, no religion, no political affiliation. We offer a service with blindfolds on,” he defended, calling on armed men for understanding and humanism to facilitate saving lives. The new Director General of the National Ambulance Center took the opportunity to announce the construction of the departmental directorate office for the South, a project that, he said, is close to his heart, promising the reorganization of operations and the restructuring of the institution's garage to boost ambulance services nationwide. Jean Mapou