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Dr. Moise has previously spoken of the reason many Haitian doctors leave Haiti. In light of all these issues, what reason do they have to stay? This post originally appeared on Dr. Moise’s blog.
Three months ago, I had the opportunity to present the results of an epidemiologic research I conducted at the latest conference of the French Society of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, a scientific institute aiming to advance research on drugs and their utilization. As a local-trained and based doctor in Haiti, I was twice as happy realizing the many promises such medical research for the country. However, in the back of mind, the many obstacles afflicting the Haitian healthcare system were gnawing at me. For example, while the epidemiological threats are quickly diversifying, basic data collection and analysis are still lacking. A flagrant misuse of local capacities is in many cases to blame. As the ongoing strike of residents exposes the system’s shortcomings, it is obvious why such structural inadequacies have long resulted in junior doctors’ exodus.
Despite the circumstances, many Haitian doctors choose to practice in Haiti, even with the increasing promises of improved work conditions and better opportunities for doctors in foreign countries. Even among the larger community of Haitian doctors practicing abroad, the desire to come back to the motherland is often expressed.
There is no one reason for that desire to stay or come back to Haiti. A colleague told me that Haiti is the only place he feels he belongs and connected to. That regardless of the state of the healthcare sector, he is more likely to stay in Haiti because of he is more familiar with Haitian culture and way of life. Some doctors abroad do not have the luxury of returning to Haiti, staying because of family situations such as marriage or a chronically sick child.
As a reason for their returning to practice in Haiti, a few of my former professors recalled experiences of exclusion, discrimination and racism which drove them back where they feel more appreciated and needed. One day, as I was in Brussels for a medical internship, as I handed my passport to an office staff member, I was startled as he shouted to me how chaotic of a country Haiti is. This experience helped me catch a glimpse of what many might be enduring abroad in regards to the disrespect pertaining to their origin.
Personal reasons such as lifestyle, family situations or unfortunate experiences abroad are not sole factors to embrace Haitian medical practice. As a matter of fact, while most doctors who leave always give me clear reasons why they do, most doctors who stay never seem to be able to give me a concise reason why they do. What is for sure is that whatever the reasons given, they are almost always associated with a profound feeling of patriotism and a sense of duty when it comes to practicing medicine in Haiti.
…overcoming our shortcomings in regards to health care is a patriotic duty.
As I have described in many of my articles, factors such as a lack of capacity and initiative hold back the Haitian healthcare system. One of my mentors affirmed that Haitian doctors, as every citizen, need to redefine their relationship to Haiti instead of abandon it. According to him, overcoming our shortcomings in regards to health care is a patriotic duty. But how many doctors are there, visionary enough to make it their mission to stay or come back here and try to improve what can be? I am honored to know and work with many of them. As I was recently discussing with two senior doctors, they consented that leaving might earn them less stress but also less happiness. They made their choice years ago, ever since their career started back in the 1980s, motivated by ambitious plans to train generations of doctors in Haiti to solve Haiti’s health issues. Let me clarify that leading a health-related project in Haiti is barely an easy task. I know that because the organization I co-founded, integrAction, has long been trying to find a working strategy to accomplish its mission which is to improve health literacy in Haiti. But the more I work, the more I realize that an often silent sense of patriotism plays a key role in keeping people pursuing their project. For me, there is no doubt that this is the most important reason why doctors still choose to practice in Haiti over many other choices. It is a crucial driver and that’s good because the fact is that Haitian doctors are critically needed on their land.
This leads to another reason to practice in Haiti: the desire to cast a stone. Even though it is a plausible argument for countless people, I’m not referring here to the year of service provided in exchange for the State’s investment in training doctors. In a broad sense, Haiti has nourished the personality and imagination of everyone who has spent time here. It has shaped who the people are- doctors included- through a complex net of trial and error, frustration and victories. And as the saying goes, much is often required from whom much is given. For many Haitian doctors, staying in Haiti is answering a calling to contribute to the society that shaped them.
In the midst of a health system in crisis with no apparent short term resolve, my questioning the motives behind Haitian doctors’ choice to keep a practice in Haiti was both justified and eye-opening. It helped me determine where to look in order to inspire the future doctors of this country. A mixture of personal preferences seem to be an important factor, but patriotism and the aspiration to contribute to the community are also deeply ingrained. As Haitian doctors continue to build and struggle against all odds, the need for advocacy for an improved work environment and opportunities to live a fulfilling life in Haiti is mandatory. People are the most important asset of any system and to achieve ambitious health goals, we need to maintain our precious medical workforce.
