Helping Haiti’s transportation issues: Increasing Haiti’s medical liabilities

Recently, I went on my first medical mission to Les Cayes, Haiti. I was amazed and astonished at the number of Haitian’s riding motorcycles. However, what was even more astonishing was the lack of safety that was being practiced by the drivers and passengers. This was compounded by the absence of clear traffic laws to govern the use of automobiles and motorcycles alike. I did not realize the gravity of the issue until we got on ground at our medical clinic and started treating patients. One after another, patients arrived with multiple injuries from motorcycle accidents. Some accidents resulted in minor lacerations while others ended with extensive orthopedic injuries and death. After leaving the country, I thought extensively on how this one problem, which greatly impacted the Haitian medical system, could be improved. There are some simple fixes to this issue like providing operators with motorcycle helmets to more extensive remedies such as establishing and enforcing national transportation laws. Nonetheless, I kept coming back to the same question: How did the people of Haiti get to where they are today with an abundance of motorcycles abound and safety measures lagging far behind?