Haiti hospital out of commission after blaze set by armed groups

A major hospital in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, was set on fire following an attack by armed groups, according to hospital and police sources on Tuesday.

The fire, which occurred on Monday night at Bernard Mevs Hospital, did not result in any injuries, but it caused significant damage, destroying four operating rooms, a laboratory, imaging equipment, and administrative offices. The suspected attackers are believed to be members of gangs from the “Viv Ansanm” (“Living Together”) alliance, who used Molotov cocktails to start the blaze.

“It’s a whole symbol that has gone up in smoke,” a source told AFP, highlighting the significant impact of the attack on the capital’s medical capacity. Bernard Mevs Hospital, a key private healthcare facility in Haiti, was known for possessing some of the most advanced medical imaging technology in the country, making its destruction especially devastating for the nation’s health sector.