When the Lights Went Out, the Nurses Kept Caring

At Hôpital Sainte-Croix (HSC) in Léogâne, Haiti, reliable electricity is essential to nearly every aspect of patient care.

As one of MBF’s partner hospitals, HSC serves a region of more than 500,000 people. Its healthcare workers care for mothers experiencing complicated deliveries, newborns needing specialized attention, and families who have few other places to turn.

In January 2022, a new generator bound for the hospital was hijacked. Without dependable power, nurses administered IVs by flashlight and did everything they could to continue caring for their patients.

Eventually, the hospital had no choice but to send patients away.

For mothers in labor and newborns needing immediate care, a closed hospital can place lives at risk. The nearest alternatives require families to travel difficult routes to Port-au-Prince or across the mountains to Jacmel.

Even when the power failed, the hospital’s commitment to its patients did not.

The hospital did not face the crisis alone.

Within days, MBF donors and partners helped secure, transport, and install another generator. The lights came back on, essential medical services resumed, and patients could once again receive care close to home.

The response also helped HSC become better prepared for the future. With reliable generator power restored, plans advanced to expand the hospital’s solar capacity and create a more sustainable power system.

This is Organizational Impact in action. By strengthening the essential systems behind patient care, MBF helps Christian hospitals remain ready — so healthcare workers can provide excellent care and patients and families can encounter the hope of Jesus when they need it most.