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Port-au-Prince, Haiti – The sudden dismissal of Health Minister Dr. Duckenson Lorthe Blema following a deadly attack at the General Hospital in Port-au-Prince has sparked widespread scrutiny, particularly after a leaked letter revealed his prior warnings about security concerns.
The December 24 attack, carried out by the gang “Viv Ansanm,” claimed the lives of two journalists and a police officer during a planned reopening ceremony at the hospital. While the government attributed Dr. Blema’s dismissal to alleged lapses in planning, the emergence of his formal request for security days before the event has raised critical questions about where the real failures lie.
The letter, reportedly sent by Dr. Blema to Justice Minister Patrick Pelissier a week before the reopening, detailed the need for police reinforcement to secure the hospital and its surrounding areas. In the document, Dr. Blema expressed concerns about escalating violence and urged collaboration with law enforcement to ensure the safety of staff, patients, and attendees at the reopening ceremony.
Despite these efforts, it appears that adequate measures were not taken, leaving the facility vulnerable to attack. The letter has since circulated widely online, adding fuel to allegations of negligence or mismanagement at higher levels of government.
The revelation of Dr. Blema’s preemptive request has prompted critics to question whether his dismissal was a response to systemic failures beyond his control. Some observers have pointed to the lack of follow-through on his warnings as a glaring oversight, while others see it as part of a broader pattern of dysfunction within Haiti’s leadership.
“This was not merely a planning failure on the part of one person,” said Pierre Espérance, Executive Director of the National Human Rights Defense Network (RNDDH), in a recent radio interview. “It was a systemic failure, beginning with those who disregarded the risks the minister explicitly highlighted.”
Espérance also condemned alleged negotiations between senior officials and gang leaders to facilitate the event without police involvement, accusing the government of prioritizing appearances over security.
In the wake of Dr. Blema’s removal, Justice Minister Pelissier has temporarily assumed oversight of the Ministry of Public Health. He has since requested additional police resources to reopen the hospital, a move some see as an acknowledgment of the gaps in security planning that led to the December 24 attack.
Before his dismissal, Dr. Blema had also established a crisis unit to provide medical and psychological support to victims and their families. However, critics argue that these efforts came too late to mitigate the damage caused by the attack.
The attack has reignited broader concerns about governance and accountability in Haiti, where armed gangs wield significant power over public institutions. The letter has become a flashpoint in the debate, with many questioning whether Dr. Blema was made a scapegoat for deeper systemic issues.
Espérance emphasized the need for transparency, calling for an independent investigation into the attack and the decisions leading up to it. “If warnings were given and ignored, then those responsible must be held accountable,” he said.
As Haiti grapples with the fallout from this tragedy, the General Hospital remains closed, and its reopening date uncertain. The broader implications of the incident—on public trust, healthcare access, and the rule of law—continue to loom large over the nation.
For now, the letter serves as a stark reminder of the risks facing public institutions in Haiti and the urgent need for coordinated, transparent governance in a country struggling to reclaim stability.
