Haiti’s health minister, Duckenson Lorthe, has been removed from his position following a deadly gang attack on the General Hospital, the largest public hospital in the capital, Port-au-Prince.
In a statement released Thursday, Haiti’s transitional council announced that Justice Minister Patrick Pelissier will serve as interim Health Minister until a permanent replacement is named.
The attack, which occurred on Tuesday, left two journalists and a police officer dead as gang members stormed the hospital, firing indiscriminately at reporters who were covering the facility’s reopening. Seven other journalists were injured, making it one of the deadliest incidents targeting Haitian media in recent history.
Jean Feguens Regala, a photographer who survived the attack, revealed that the media had been invited to the hospital by the health ministry, but security was notably absent.
“The fact that the minister of health invited us, you feel that preparations have been made already,” Regala told The Associated Press. “When we made contact with a police unit, the police told us they were not aware of the event.”
Lorthe did not attend the event, and no explanation has been provided for his absence.
Shortly after the attack, Johnson “Izo” André, a notorious gang leader and member of the Viv Ansanm gang coalition, claimed responsibility in a video posted on social media. He stated that the gang had not authorized the hospital’s reopening.
Gang violence has escalated in Haiti, with coordinated attacks on critical infrastructure, including prisons, police stations, and the main international airport, leaving much of the capital under gang control. It is estimated that gangs now control 85% of Port-au-Prince.
The Caribbean nation remains in a deep crisis, unable to hold elections to restore democratic governance. Currently, Haiti is governed by a transitional council composed of representatives from political parties, business groups, and civil society organizations.
This latest incident underscores the growing instability and the dire need for improved security and governance in the country.
