Health as a human right and medical humanitarianism on the Haitian-Dominican border

Abstract

At a government hospital in the town of Dajabon, in the northwestern Dominican Republic, doctors and nurses must make decisions on whether or not to treat Haitian patients who have crossed the border in search of health care. This thesis examines the discourses and practices of Haitian patients and Dominican health care providers in the context of two co-existing but contrasting rhetorics: health as a human right, and medical humanitarianism. Using data collected through semi-structured interviews and participant observation, I examine how social, political, and economic forces shape medical encounters on the Haitian-Dominican border