To say the hospital is resource deprived is an understatement. The wards are dimly lit, rundown, large open rooms with no air conditioning or window screens. There are no walls, so there is no privacy and definitely no concept of HIPAA. Nurses are few and the patients rely on their "attendants" for alot of their care. Attendants are usually a family member and they are there to provide what we usually expect of nurses. For example, if a patient requires morphine every 4 hours it is the attendant's duty to go to the pharmacy/dispensary, PURCHASE the morphine and ensure that the patient takes it every four hours. The attendants are also in charge of bringing food and water to the patients and making sure they have bed linens.
While labs are available at the hospital, phlebotomy comes around twice per week. In between those times, the patients would need to travel down to the lab to have their blood drawn. Complete blood counts and chemistries are free. The remainder of tests ordered need to be paid for out of pocket.
Once the patient has been seen by the medical team that day (IF they are seen by the medical team that day), it is their responsibility to ensure that the plan is carried out. Need an ultrasound? You as the patient need to make sure that you make your way down to radiology to get it done.
Wow this makes me feel so fortunate to live in America. This has to be completely eye opening.
ReplyDeleteNikki
When I traveled to Panama to visit my grandfather in the hospital, the scene was alot like what you're experiencing. No A/C, soiled bed linen in the hallways, sterlization seemed non-existent, and I never thought I'd be able to acquire a sense for this, but it smelled of raw flesh. It is the same in Colombia. I'm thinking this may be how it is in a lot of third world countries. Very unfortunate.
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