In a devastating escalation of Haiti’s ongoing crisis, the University Hospital of Mirebalais—once hailed as the country’s most advanced and hopeful medical institution—has been forced to close indefinitely due to rampant gang violence in the region.
As reported by the Miami Herald, the 205,000-square-foot hospital, known locally as l’Hôpital Universitaire de Mirebalais, had long stood as a lifeline for the country’s rural poor. Founded through the vision and work of the late Dr. Paul Farmer and his nonprofit organization Partners In Health, the hospital offered services rarely accessible in Haiti, including free cancer treatment, renal care, and a range of surgical services. It was also the only facility in the Caribbean to successfully separate conjoined twins, a groundbreaking procedure led by Haitian-born surgeon Dr. Henri Ford.
With over 300 beds, a team of both local and international physicians, and solar power capabilities, the hospital was widely regarded as a symbol of what Haitian healthcare could achieve when backed by global support and local dedication.
That symbol dimmed this month as armed gangs stormed the central city of Mirebalais, ransacking nearby facilities, looting medical supplies, and seizing control of the area. The hospital was forced to evacuate all patients and staff, confirming it will remain closed “until further notice” due to the growing insecurity.
“The hospital was a symbol of what Haitians could achieve with the right support,” said Dr. Henri Ford, now the dean of the University of Miami’s Miller School of Medicine, who has remained vocal about the importance of Haitian-led medical innovation. In 2015, Ford performed the historic operation to separate twin girls at the hospital.
The closure marks another devastating chapter in Haiti’s collapsing healthcare system. Since the beginning of the year, violent gangs have torched clinics, looted life-saving supplies, and repurposed hospitals into tactical strongholds. In Mirebalais alone, essential solar panels, medical equipment, and medications were stolen, further compounding the crisis.
The attackers—identified as members of the 400 Mawozo and Canaan gangs—are part of the Viv Ansanm coalition, which has rapidly extended its grip over nearly all of metropolitan Port-au-Prince. The same coalition led a deadly assault on March 31 that resulted in the deaths of security personnel and local civilians and freed over 500 inmates from the Mirebalais prison.
With the closure of its most vital hospital and no immediate plans for reopening, thousands of Haitians are now left with even fewer options for medical care as the country teeters on the brink of total collapse.
