Gangs reportedly abducted two doctors working at hospitals to treat earthquake victims in the capital city of Haiti, forcing one establishment to declare a two-day shutdown.
Officials said that the kidnappings occurred on Tuesday and Wednesday and dealt a heavy blow to attempts of controlling criminal violence. The situation has caused concerns regarding the risks that disaster response personnel face in Port-au-Prince.
Gangs Abducted Doctors
One of the doctors, Dr. Workens Alexandre, was one of the country's few orthopedic surgeons and was desperately needed to treat patients with broken limbs after the devastating earthquake. It was found that 45 out of 48 patients at the Bernard Mevs Hospital needed orthopedic surgery, an official said.
Earlier in the week, gangs in the rough Martissan neighborhood on the outskirts of the capital announced a truce to allow rescue efforts to pass through. The area in the southwestern part of Haiti was the hardest-hit region during Saturday's earthquake.
However, authorities are unsure whether or not those gangs were related to the abductions of the two doctors. But Dr. Ronald La Roche, the founder of the DASH network of affordable hospitals, said criminals from beyond Martissant have been involved in kidnappings, ABC News reported.
The second doctor who was kidnapped was an obstetrician who was on his way to the emergency cesarean delivery room. He was allegedly abducted in Petionville, which has long been considered one of the safer and wealthier areas in the capital. The patient, who was waiting for the doctor, died along with her child, due to the delay in the treatment.
Roche said he was "furious" at the gang for the atrocious act they have committed. He said they were responsible for the death of the woman and her child. As protests against the abductions, Roche's hospitals opted to shut down for two days to non-emergency cases.
Devastating Haiti Earthquake
The Haitian earthquake has taken the lives of nearly 2,200 residents, and officials expect the number to rise in the coming days. Authorities reported more than 12,000 people have been injured, flooding hospitals that are already struggling to fight the coronavirus pandemic, The Week reported.
While the kidnappers have contacted the families of the two doctors who were abducted, they have not yet revealed if they had ransom demands. The Bernard Mevs Hospital official, who wished to remain anonymous, said the situation has become worse, forcing doctors to stay in hospital rooms for two or three days to avoid traveling.
Prime Minister Ariel Henry, the former head of neurosurgery at the hospital, said that the government cannot rely on the truce that the gangs announced. "I have already given orders that for traveling from Port-au-Prince to the south, security is provided on the route from Martissant to the worst-hit areas," he said on Wednesday.
Officials also had to escort 18 Colombia volunteer search-and-rescue workers away from the quake-damaged city of Jeremie. Police were deployed to act as security forces after a rumor circulated that they had been involved in the July 7 assassination of President Jovenel Moise, the Los Angeles Times reported.
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