An apple a day...........

We have seen many different facilities in regards to health care in Uganda. The village medical clinics were filled with Malaria, Syphilis, HIV, and expecting mothers. The doctors that came with us are used to treating running noses, coughs, and the occasional cut needing stitches. The rooms are about 10x10 and have 3 or 4 patients in them. You might have a mix of HIV, Malaria and a woman in labor in the same room. Those with less threatening needs must wait hours for treatment and some wait and sleep on mats over night while waiting. Cost depends on services rendered but usually a few thousand shillings.

The children’s hospital is a place where children are taken for birth defects, serious injuries and accidents. One might see large tumors on the faces of very sweet little girls, small baby‘s that have major burns from crawling into an open fire, or a little boy who at a year old contracted polio and after crawling for 8 years in the dirt was able to have the surgery to fix his legs. The facility was outdated and the wards had about 15 beds in each one. A family member must stay to take care of the child but food does come with the daily charge. They did have a workshop were they made wheelchairs and braces for little legs. In order for the children to keep up with studies there is a classroom for the kids and a teacher to help them. What a great improvement in this culture. This was a place were there was hope as most of these children had waited years in order to get the medical help they needed. The true heart break is actually the little ones still out there hurting and with broken bodies that have not been helped yet.

The next facility was run by the Catholic Church and had very pretty grounds. Again the facilities were very outdated kind of like when you watch a movie from the 40’s. But it was clean.

The next was a hospital where we took a baby for his immunizations. Heaven was here as we saw no less than 100 babies all waiting with their mothers. It was a very hot day and many of these women had been waiting at least 2 or 3 hours already. They promote whole family values so if a woman comes with her husband they get to move to the front of the line. Fathers are not generally family oriented so this is their way of trying to get them involved.

The last hospital seemed the worse one. It is a state owned facility and is free for the bed but everything else must be provided for by the family. It can take many many hours to be seen or admitted. Babies crying from being in pain and sick waiting in the hot sun are the sounds one might hear. If the doctor prescribes meds the family many times must go get it and bring it back to their loved one. The family is also responsible to feed the sick family member and must stay and take care of their every need. The family member will sleep on the floor under the patents bed. If you have ever watched a horror movie where the main character was being chased at a hospital this was it. The halls were very long and dark. The wards were huge with maybe 30 or more beds and very few nurses. The floors were dirty and the equipment that looked to be from WWI. The thoughts were if we get sick please just let me die don’t bring us here. As we walked the halls an eerie feeling was inside us just wanting to leave to get out. And the smells of human waste penetrated our senses. It was the one of the scariest places felt on the trip. At times dead bodies are left in the halls waiting for family to claim them.

Next time you have to wait a little longer for the doctors appointment or need to go to the hospital you might remember the people in Uganda. You might just go with a different attitude.

Much Love Kimberly