PORT AU PRINCE, Haiti (CMC) – The United States has issued a level four travel advisory status for Haiti due to what it said is the limited access to health care in the French-speaking Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country.

The US Embassy in a statement, said recent gang-related attacks have targeted hospitals and other health care facilities and that health care and emergency medical services are not available in many parts of Haiti.

“There are significant challenges in obtaining adequate healthcare or medical evacuation due to the degradation of public health and medical infrastructure. This increases the risk of diseases spreading,” the embassy warned.

It said the Level Four Department of State’s Travel Advisory for Haiti is intended also in discouraging American citizens from travelling to the country.

“Medical facilities in Haiti, including ambulance services, are hard to find and low quality, especially outside the capital. Patients must cover all expenses for life-threatening emergencies that require evacuation by air ambulance to a location outside of Haiti,” it added.

The embassy told Americans wishing to visit Haiti still that they must make sure their health insurance provides coverage abroad since the embassy does not pay medical bills.

“US Medicare and Medicaid do not provide you with coverage abroad. Hospitals and doctors in Haiti do not accept US health insurance and usually require full payment before providing services.

“The final cost of treatment is often much higher than initial cost estimates. Medical facilities usually ask for full payment before discharging patients. We strongly recommend supplemental insurance to cover medical evacuation.”

The embassy is urging Americans not to travel to Haiti, where criminal gangs have been seeking to overthrow the government since the assassination of President Jovenel Moise in 2021.

“The US Embassy Port-au-Prince urges US citizens in Haiti to leave by authorised commercial transportation as soon as they feel it is safe to do so,” adding “if you are in Haiti, make plans to leave Haiti as soon as safely possible”.