Starting work…
On Thursday
March 10, I participated in the hospital’s orientation. Considering that this hospital hasn’t
received any reimbursement from the government in about 8 months, it is doing
very well in managing its meager resources. They even provided a small lunch
and dinner for attendees. They also provide a monthly incentive (about $3) for
workers who have a savings account. This is added to their savings. The goal is
to encourage financial planning for the workers.
Today (Monday
March 14) marked my first day at the Methodist hospital in Ankaase. I moved into
my apartment yesterday (Sunday March 13) with help from my mom and sister. They were very helpful and even prepared my meals for the weak. I am very blessed and thankful for their help. Of course, the meals were delicious and have been a life saver:)
The hospital is about a 10-minute walk from my house. Thankfully, it was a cooler morning and afternoon (mid 70s) with scattered thunderstorms therefore my commute to and from work was pleasant. I hope the weather stays cooler.
The hospital is about a 10-minute walk from my house. Thankfully, it was a cooler morning and afternoon (mid 70s) with scattered thunderstorms therefore my commute to and from work was pleasant. I hope the weather stays cooler.
My new home, thanks to Dr. Gongwer, for the next year. There are three hospital staff members living here too.
I am serving
in the hospital’s emergency room (ER). It is a 10 bed unit with 3 staff nurses,
a nurse aide and a charge nurse. A physician comes in periodically to see the
patients and as needed. When the physician is not seeing patients in the ER, he/she
sees patients at the out-patient department (OPD). They have an outstanding
case load just like the nursing staff. However, they (nurses and physicians)
are judicious in their duties and really care about their jobs and the
patients.
Path leading to the new place of abode....the white house is reserved for security personnel
Because of
the lack of resources and space, the ER sees both pediatric and adult patients
within a confined area. This could lead to potential problems especially in the
case of patients with infectious diseases. The hospital is in the process of
building a new OPD and we are hopeful that this new facility will reduce this
burden and risk. Other challenges include lack of cardiac monitoring devices,
isolation rooms for tuberculosis (TB) and other transmissible conditions in addition
to a lack of annual TB screening for the workers. We are working on finding a
sustainable solution to the screening issue. It is of particular importance considering
the endemicity of tuberculosis in this region. We had a patient in the ER who
tested positive for TB and had to be referred to another facility due to lack
of TB medicines at the pharmacy. Remember, the government hasn’t paid this facility in 8 months
so it’s a real challenge to operate smoothly.
Path leading to town (Ankaase). Its a 10 minute walk from here to the hospital
The
challenges are too many to mention but there’s always a ray of hope. If you are
reading this, please pray for strength and good health for the workers at this
hospital. Also, pray for God’s direction in finding ways to solve the problems
and challenges being faced by staff and management.
A view of the Ankaase township.The building on the left with 2 stone columns is the local Methodist Church. To the right of the tree, in the middle of the picture, is a yellow building. This is the top portion of the hospital; a two story building.
Thank you so
much for your time and loyalty to this blog. It is very appreciated. I will try
to update as often as possible.
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