The Silent Heroes Behind Every Diagnosis
15. January 2026
When we think of medical care, doctors and nurses usually come to mind first. Yet effective treatment is only possible thanks to many dedicated people working quietly behind the scenes.
At HAS, staff members in administration, pharmacy, technical services, and cleaning ensure every day that the hospital can function smoothly. A particularly vital role is played by the laboratory – the heart of many accurate and reliable diagnoses.
Under the leadership of Rubnise Rosemane, the laboratory team at HAS carries out between 150 and 200 laboratory tests every day. Someone is on call around the clock. As the number of patients continues to grow, the workload never decreases.
Many patients come directly to the laboratory for blood collection. If someone is too weak or unable to move, the laboratory staff go to the patient’s bedside – reliable, compassionate, and attentive.
Two partially automated machines make it possible to perform essential tests such as complete blood counts or liver function tests. These analyses require specific testing materials, which are usually available thanks to careful planning. However, many examinations are still done manually: up to 60 urine samples are examined under the microscope every day.
Without laboratory results, an accurate diagnosis – and therefore the right treatment – would often not be possible.
Reynold has been working in the HAS laboratory for over 20 years. With his calm and thoughtful manner, he helps many patients overcome their fear during blood collection. Guérold has also been part of the team for just as long. His trained eye never misses a tuberculosis bacterium under the microscope – a skill that saves lives, especially as case numbers continue to rise.
Despite staff shortages, an increasing workload, and challenging economic conditions, the laboratory team gives its very best every day. These are the silent heroes working behind the scenes, ensuring that HAS can continue to provide essential care for the people of the Artibonite Valley.
Your donation helps sustain this indispensable work – enabling reliable diagnoses, effective treatments, and renewed hope for many people.
Reliable Diagnoses Thanks to Modern Infrastructure
The modern laboratory at HAS is an essential part of medical care. Every day, hundreds of tests are carried out on blood and other body fluids for inpatients as well as for many outpatients. The results provide treating physicians with a crucial basis for accurately identifying illnesses and initiating the right treatment without delay.
The laboratory supports the diagnosis of both acute infectious diseases and long-term, serious conditions. These include malaria and tuberculosis—both infectious diseases that can be life-threatening without early and reliable diagnosis—as well as chronic illnesses such as diabetes.
A particularly valuable asset for this work is the SYSMEX XP 300 hematology analyzer, a recent acquisition made possible by SPHASH. This modern device enables precise and standardized blood analyses within a short time. At the same time, it significantly reduces errors that can occur with manual evaluations. In this way, the analyzer makes an important contribution to improving diagnostic accuracy, starting treatments more quickly, and sustainably enhancing patient safety.
