Bethesda Medical Center in Haiti expands round-the-clock care amid crisis

Bethesda Medical Center in northern Haiti is keeping emergency and specialty care running 24/7 as gang violence, migration and power shortages strain the country’s health system. The clinic is seeking support for a larger solar installation to reduce diesel use and keep treating patients at any hour.

Why it matters: - Bethesda Medical Center is one of the few clinics in the Cap Haitien area with 24-hour electricity and around-the-clock emergency care. - Reliable power can mean the difference between life and death when patients arrive at night with urgent needs. - The clinic is serving more patients as displacement from Haiti’s capital adds pressure to health care in the north.

What happened: - A 9-year-old girl with a severe asthma attack was brought to Bethesda Medical Center at 11 p.m. after other clinics could not help because they had no electricity. - Bethesda’s solar power system allowed emergency staff to turn on equipment immediately and start nebulization treatment. - The child’s breathing improved within minutes, and she went home alive. - Bethesda says it wants financial support to install a larger solar system.

The details: - Bethesda Medical Center’s emergency department opened in 2014 and has grown since then. - The clinic runs a diesel generator about 8 hours a day to handle peak electricity demand. - Bethesda is located in Vaudreuil, near Cap Haitien, and began as a mission outreach in 1961. - The clinic is staffed entirely by Haitian physicians, nurses, dentists, physical therapists and auxiliary staff. - Dr. Rodney Baptiste, who grew up in the local community, leads a staff of more than 60 people. - Bethesda records more than 90,000 patient visits a year. - That total includes more than 7,000 dental visits and more than 5,000 physical therapy visits annually. - Bethesda provides more than 6,300 child vaccinations each year. - Mobile medical clinics reached more than 1,400 people in mountain villages last year. - Bethesda operates an HIV/AIDS clinic with physicians, nurses, counselors, social workers and health care assistants. - The HIV/AIDS program provides medication, counseling, support groups and financial assistance. - Bethesda’s TB clinic tests hundreds of patients each year and finds more than 25% positive. - The clinic offers 16 services across three areas: preventive care, acute care and ongoing care. - Patients pay about 50% of the actual cost of care. - No one is turned away because of faith or ability to pay. - A compassion fund helps patients who cannot afford treatment. - Bethesda also trains students in nursing, X-ray technology, lab technology, medicine, dentistry and physical therapy. - The clinic says it receives students from across northern Haiti for clinical training. - Bethesda is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization operating as Healthcare in Haiti Inc dba Bethesda Medical Center.

Between the lines: - The clinic’s solar push is a response to a fragile electricity grid and the high operating cost of diesel generation. - Bethesda is positioning reliable power as a core medical tool, not just an infrastructure upgrade. - The combination of migration, poverty and chronic illness is making the north’s health burden harder to manage. - The HIV and TB programs show Bethesda is handling both routine and high-risk infectious disease care in the same facility.

What's next: - Bethesda plans Solar Phase II, a project designed to triple current solar capacity and reduce dependence on fossil fuels. - Donations tied to Together for Haiti Match Day will go toward the solar project. - Together for Haiti Match Day runs July 20-30, 2026, for ten organizations serving Haitian communities. - Qualifying gifts of $50 to $1,000 per organization receive a 50% match, with more than $50,000 in matching gifts available. - Donors can learn more at the clinic’s website or by emailing info@bethesdamedical.org. - More information on the campaign is available at Together for Haiti Match Day.