©️photo : OFATMA
Tabarre, 29 January 2026.- The Director General of OFATMA, Vikerson Garnier, met with trade union representatives in the education sector to discuss the difficulties of access to care and to present the actions undertaken to redress the institution, including the release of 800 million gourdes to clear debts to partner hospitals.
As part of the process of institutional recovery initiated since September 2025, the Director General of the Office d'Insurance Accidents du Travail, Maladie et Maternité (OFATMA), the agronomist Vikerson Garnier, received on Tuesday 13 January a delegation from the Regroupement des Educateurs pour la Défense et la Reforme du Système Éducatif Haïtien (REDRESEH).
The purpose of the meeting was to exchange information on access to health care for insured persons in the education sector and to explore concrete ways to improve the quality of services offered. On this occasion, the OFATMA DG outlined the measures already implemented to remedy a financial situation deemed to be critical, inherited, inter alia, from a qualified unsustainable tariff schedule, which resulted in large arrears of payments to partner health facilities.
Among the major advances announced was the signing of a memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Economy and Finance, guaranteeing the release of 800 million gourdes for the priority settlement of recent debts. According to Vikerson Garnier, this envelope should restore trust with affiliated hospitals and ensure continuity of care for all insured persons.
REDRESSEH officials, on the other hand, expressed the concerns of their members, particularly with regard to improving access to care, the functioning of OFATMA's peripheral units and transparency in the management and monitoring of benefits. They also called for a permanent dialogue between the institution and trade unions.
En réponse, le Directeur général s’est engagé à normaliser progressivement le fonctionnement des unités périphériques à l’échelle nationale, à instaurer des rencontres de suivi régulières avec les organisations syndicales et à renforcer les mécanismes de redevabilité envers les assurés. « Nous sommes conscients des défis à relever et des attentes légitimes des assurés « , a assuré le DG Garnier.
The OFATMA thus reiterates its commitment to fulfil its commitments and to make the year 2026 a decisive turning point in the rehabilitation and modernization of the institution.
W.A.
