Doctors Without Borders's Cité Soleil emergency hospital is currently the only medical facility capable of treating patients in the area after the recent closure of the Fontaine hospital for an indefinite period. The Fontaine hospital is a private facility, not affiliated with Doctors Without Borders, that was caught in the middle of clashes on November 15. All the patients and staff of Fontaine hospital have now been transferred to other hospitals in Port-au-Prince, reducing access to medical care in Cité Soleil.
Pregnant women, among other patients, now find themselves in a perilous situation. Doctors Without Borders teams in Cité Soleil have most often referred pregnant women to Fontaine Hospital to give birth. Saint Damiens, a maternity centre in Port-au-Prince, also closed its doors in late October, mainly due to insecurity.
Doctors Without Borders was also forced to temporarily close its outpatient clinic and reduce its medical teams in Cité Soleil to limit the risks for staff, patients and structures during these episodes of particularly intense and indiscriminate violence. However, Doctors Without Borders's Cité Soleil emergency hospital remains open to provide emergency services.
