Newsletter #8 - Just a quick note:
I just came from the Jinja Regional Hospital from visiting Vicky, the young 16 year old mom whose baby died in utero last Thursday after 2 days of labor. She is doing quite well. Yesterday she was up walking around a bit and she has not had a fever. Please continue to pray for a full recovery for her.
This was my first visit to this hospital, and as hospitals go in a third world country, it was rather nice & clean. Here are a few observations - some of which those in the medical field might find especially interesting:
- There are no private rooms, only wards with approx 30-50 patients.
- The beds & equipment looks like something out of the 1950's or earlier.
- Family members must stay with the patient to care for them & provide their food & any other requirements, such as medications.
- If medications, or other requirements, are needed the patient is given a slip of paper listing what to get. A family member must then go into town to get the items. If they do not have the money or someone to get the items, the patient does without.
- There is no pharmacy on the premises to purchase needed medications. So if items are needed during the night the patient many times will not receive them until the next day.
- The nursing staff has a cart from which to distribute medications. Nothing is labeled for individual patients and they go from patient - to cart - to another patient with the same gloves on.
- There is little to no sterility while providing direct patient care. IV medications are given without the use of alcohol to clean the IV hub prior to administration.
- The 3 doses of IV Flagyl that we got for Vicky cost 4500 shillings, less than $2.
- Last, but not least......(for my CFV co-workers).....There is NO foaming in/out....I think I prefer foaming in/out though
Cindy
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