Dear HAS Community,
Hôpital Albert Schweitzer Haiti has experienced periods of growth, emergencies, and profound change. Even as needs and circumstances across Haiti have shifted, the hospital has continued to care for patients day and night. SPHASH has remained connected to the hospital through these changes, helping address immediate needs while investing in services and infrastructure for the future. That relationship reflects not a single project, but a commitment that has taken many forms.
The Beginning of a Thirty-Year Partnership
The relationship began in the spring of 1996, when Raphaela and Dr. Rolf Maibach arrived in Deschapelles ready to contribute their professional skills at HAS. Raphaela worked in the laboratory, while Rolf cared for children as a pediatrician. Working alongside HAS personnel and meeting families from the surrounding communities left a lasting impression. Their time at the hospital became the beginning of a partnership that has now endured for three decades.
After returning to Switzerland, the husband-and-wife team wanted to remain connected to HAS. In July 1997, they founded Bündner Partnerschaft Hôpital Albert Schweitzer Haiti, or BPHASH, bringing together others who shared their commitment to the hospital. Raphaela and Rolf later returned to work at HAS, with Raphaela leading the laboratory and Rolf serving as a pediatrician and medical director. As support expanded beyond Graubünden, the organization adopted the name Swiss Partnership HAS Haiti, or SPHASH, in 2015.
Raphaela Maibach and Tamare working together in the laboratory at Hôpital Albert Schweitzer Haiti in 2008.
Dr. Rolf and Raphaela Maibach with Gwen Mellon in 1997.
Putting Children First
Children have remained at the heart of this partnership. Through its close relationship with the pediatric department, SPHASH has helped HAS care for newborns, critically ill children, and young patients experiencing malnutrition. Its contributions have supported neonatology, general pediatric care, pediatric surgery and intensive care, nutritional services, medications, equipment, and other resources used by HAS personnel every day.
Dr. Maibach caring for a young patient alongside the child’s mother.
Dr. Maibach caring for a newborn in the neonatal unit at Hôpital Albert Schweitzer.
Quality care also requires appropriate spaces and dependable equipment. Renovations to the neonatal unit and portions of the pediatric clinic increased capacity while improving workflows and hygiene practices. SPHASH has supported laboratory development, ultrasound technology, and other medical equipment used throughout the hospital. In 2022, a shipment arranged through the partnership brought additional supplies, equipment, and machines to HAS. Together, these resources help personnel diagnose illnesses, make informed treatment decisions, and care for patients in safer, more suitable environments.
Expanding Access to Care
For some patients and families, the cost of care presents another obstacle. In 2001, a generous donation established by the Noemi Speiser Fund to assist patients who require testing or treatment that cannot be provided in Deschapelles. Support for HAS’s Social Service program has further strengthened the hospital’s ability to help patients and families face financial hardship.
Care also extends beyond the hospital campus. Through the Tienne Health Center and mobile clinics, HAS medical teams reach people in remote communities with adult and pediatric consultations, maternal and child healthcare, preventive services, and health education. When patients require advanced testing, treatment, or surgery, clinic personnel coordinate referrals or transfers to HAS in Deschapelles. This creates an important connection between community-based services and hospital care, one that SPHASH’s investment has helped HAS maintain.
Dr. Martin Peterhans, who initiated the donation of surgical materials,
working alongside a member of the HAS medical team
Urgent surgical care is another important part of the partnership. A 2020 agreement described HAS’s Trauma Surgery Program as an essential service providing lifesaving procedures that were not otherwise available to residents of the Artibonite Valley. By that time, SPHASH had supported the program for more than a decade. This sustained investment helped HAS continue treating people with serious injuries and preserve a service the hospital identified as a high priority for the region.
Strengthening Haitian-Led Care
At the center of every service are the people who provide care. Professional education and technical training supported through SPHASH complement the knowledge and experience of HAS personnel. These opportunities strengthen skills within the hospital, support careers in healthcare, and contribute to care led by Haitian professionals.
Members of the Hôpital Albert Schweitzer Haiti laboratory team with Birgit Gast in 2011.
Ian Rawson and Dr. Exe with Dr. Silvia Ernst, who later became Medical Director at Hôpital Albert Schweitzer Haiti.
SPHASH has described its vision of a hospital operated entirely by Haitians as one that has become a reality. Today, continued collaboration focuses on maintaining high-quality care and supporting the Haitian professionals who lead and sustain the hospital’s work.
Sustainable Power for Continuous Care
Because HAS does not have access to a dependable public electrical system, the hospital must generate the power needed to operate its laboratories, operating rooms, medical equipment, refrigeration, lighting, and inpatient services throughout the day and night.
Between October 2014 and November 2018, SPHASH financed and installed all four phases of the hospital’s solar power system, including photovoltaic panels and battery infrastructure. The system provided Hôpital Albert Schweitzer Haiti with a more dependable source of electricity while reducing its reliance on costly diesel-generated power. In 2019, the project received the Swiss Solar Prize from the Swiss Solar Agency in recognition of its achievements in renewable energy and energy efficiency. Its impact, however, extends beyond the energy it generates. Reliable electricity helps sustain hospital services and continuous patient care throughout the day and night.
Marc Bätschmann with members of the team working on the hospital’s solar power system.
SPHASH representatives at the 2019 Swiss Solar Prize ceremony in Geneva.
This work is continuing through a 2026 agreement to restore and upgrade the hospital’s existing solar-powered microgrids. New power conversion and battery storage capacity are intended to improve performance and reduce fuel consumption. This renewed investment will help HAS maintain the electricity required to care for patients around the clock.
A Partnership Built to Last
Three decades of collaboration cannot be represented by a single donation, building, or piece of equipment. Its meaning lies in the connections between them: an improved space where a newborn receives care, a trained professional using dependable diagnostic equipment, a mobile clinic reaching a distant family, and electricity supporting the hospital through another night.
We invite you to learn more about SPHASH and the people and projects behind this enduring relationship.
We are deeply grateful to Raphaela and Rolf Maibach, the SPHASH board, its partner organizations, volunteers, and donors for standing beside HAS through decades of change. Their commitment continues to strengthen the hospital and help its personnel serve patients, families, and communities throughout the Artibonite Valley.
Sincerely,
Jean Marc de Matteis
CEO
