Above: the Mirebalais University Hospital (Photo: PIH)

By the Caribbean Journal staff

The Mirebalais University Hospital in Haiti will open in March, according to US-based healthcare organization Partners in Health.

The $17 million, 300-bed national public teaching hospital has already completed construction. It is Partners in Health’s largest undertaking to date, according to a release.

The project is also being powered by 1,800 solar panels — producing 100 percent of the hospital’s energy needs during peak hours and bringing surplus energy back into Haiti’s grid.

It is a joint initiative of PIH and its partner organization in Haiti, Zanmi Lasante.

The latter is the first agreement of its kind with Haiti’s Electricite d’Haiti utility, according to PIH.

At its peak, the hospital should employ up to 800 local staff in Haiti, providing primary care services for almost 185,000 in the Mirebalais area.

The organization is also continuing to work to fight the spread of cholera in Haiti; In December, Partners in Health Co-Founder Dr Paul Farmer was appointed to lead the United Nations’ anti-cholera efforts in the country.