Fort Saint Michel (FSM) Health Center is a public hospital that opened in 2007 in the Cap-Haitien community of Fort Saint Michel, located near the airport at the east entrance of the city. Much of the neighborhood’s population of about 5,000 people live in fragile dwellings built on refuse, and the community is highly vulnerable to flooding. Tuberculosis is the leading cause of infectious disease in this area.

A partner of Konbit Sante since 2004, FSM’s services include 24-hour emergency care; inpatient and outpatient care; dental, orthopedic, diagnostic, and ambulance services; and resources for the visually impaired. The campus includes a surgical room, a laboratory, a conference room, and a tuberculosis clinic.

In 2009, Konbit Sante helped the facility expand into women’s health services such as obstetrics, gynecology, and prenatal and postnatal care. In 2012, we assisted with a major expansion and renovation of the facility to meet increasing demand for such services, including a 17-bed maternity ward. Today, FSM is known throughout Cap-Haitien as a leading provider of women’s health care.

One of the primary functions of FSM is to provide healthcare education to the community on and off campus. Working with FSM staff and the Ministry of Public Health and Population, Konbit Sante supports community health workers with training, supplies, and salary assistance. The agents work in the field to provide health education, neonatal and postnatal referrals, malnutrition treatment, vaccinations, and other services that are essential to building a sustainable healthcare system in the community. They are supervised by a community program manager who is a full-time employee of Konbit Sante.