Solar Powered Hospital Opens in Haiti

Solar Powered Hospital Opens in Haiti

Ajoutée le 3 juin 2013

A new hospital in Haiti has officially opened. It is said to be "the world's largest solar powered hospital." 

A new hospital in Haiti has officially opened. It is said to be "the world's largest solar powered hospital." The establishment is massive, however it boasts a minimalist design.

It features an astounding 1800 solar panels on the white roof. The Hopital Universitaire de Mirebalais is situated about 30 miles away from the country's capital. In this area, power outages are very common, usually leaving residents without electricity for an average of three hours per day.

The over 200,000 square foot facility houses about 300 beds. The building was designed and developed to produce more energy than it will need to consume for operations.

To make the project even more sustainable, the unused energy will be put back into Haiti's national power grid.

The director of construction stated "The challenge was in the design and engineering, and getting the solar power produced to mesh with the often unstable grids and the backup generators. At each step of the way, we were attempting things that had never before been done."

An Inside Look at Hôpital Universitaire de Mirebalais
Ajoutée le 2 juin 2014.

“We had no idea what it was going to be like to build a teaching hospital in rural Haiti from scratch...let alone a 300-bed tertiary care hospital with a CT scanner, modern emergency room, and modern operating rooms.”

Hôpital Universitaire de Mirebalais, in Mirebalais, Haiti, provides primary care services to about 185,000 people in Mirebalais and two nearby communities. But patients from a much wider area—all of central Haiti and areas in and around Port-au-Prince—can also receive secondary and tertiary care. We see as many as 700 patients every day in our ambulatory clinics.

The Road to Mirebalais Hospital

Ajoutée le 12 mars 2013

Hôpital Universitaire de Mirebalais will provide primary care services to about 185,000 people in Mirebalais and two nearby communities. But patients from a much wider area—all of central Haiti and areas in and around Port-au-Prince—also will be able to receive secondary and tertiary care. We anticipate seeing as many as 500 patients every day in our ambulatory clinics when the hospital is fully operational.

The 205,000-square foot, 300-bed facility will fill a huge void, locally and nationally, for people who previously had limited access to quality health care.

And at a time when Haiti desperately needs skilled professionals, HUM will provide high-quality education for the next generation of Haitian nurses, medical students, and resident physicians.

Thanks to incredibly generous supporters, we have raised funds to design, build, and outfit the hospital and residences, and we will continue to rely on our friends and supporters who believe we can—and should—provide health care to people everywhere, and especially to people living on the margin of extreme poverty.

Video Production: Rebecca E. Rollins / Partners In Health