Day 3 – You call this a hospital?

Hospital day!  Tim and I were excited to visit the local hospital today and see first hand all the wonderful work done on a daily basis for a population that largely would have no other hope for treatment. We certainly did not overestimate the value this wonderful group of Nurses, Doctors and technicians provide every day of the year. What we didn’t expect were the conditions within which these daily miracles occur. One could easily imagine a battlefield Army MASH unit working in a more sterile environment with much more advanced equipment. A common theme expressed to us was the belief by the staff that they only continue to succeed through the grace of God alone. As has become the norm, we were received with open arms and a sincere appreciation for our desire to spend time with the staff and people. It is rare, unfortunately, that this hospital has visiting “friends from America”, and they couldn’t be more hospitable. The smiles were free-flowing, as well as their desire to share the numerous needs of the hospital.

Overall, the buildings have leaky roofs, walls long overdue of repair and a new coat of paint, damaged ceiling tiles, tile floors with many missing tiles  and poor electrical wiring. There is a serious shortage of wheel chairs and rolling patient “trolleys” . The deficiencies are all encompassing throughout the miracle-working hospital, but critically so in the ICU, Operating Room (which they call the Theater, but doesn’t even show a single movie….) andDiagnostic
Center. 

The ICU, which cares for adults and children alike, is little more than a room with a sign that says it is an ICU. They do their best to provide quality care, and do succeed most of the time, but just how they do it is a mystery with the limited equipment at their disposal. Items we take for granted in any American ICU, but missing or broken here include a digital ECG machine, Infant incubator, ventilators, defibulator, suction machine, infusion pump, pulseometer, blood pressure machine…. the list is endless. What isn’t in short supply is the love and dedication of the staff. 

The “Theater” provided the most striking reminder that we “weren’t in Kansas anymore” and this truly is still an area struggling to evolve. How a sterile environment could ever exist is mystifying.  An operation was underway during our tour , despite broken doors, no hot water, floors and walls that simply could never be cleaned appropriately. Windows were cracked or missing. Again, an Army MASH unit would provide a much more optimistic opportunity for success. Having no other choice, the talented, loving Doctors and nurses forged ahead. Listing the needs of the operating room is almost comical if it weren’t so serious. The “changing rooms” need to be developed, paint  and wall repair throughout, hot water and new sinks provided , swinging doors need to swing again, the anesthesia machine  is very old and has no monitor and partly manual, an oxygen concentrator is a critical need and the sterilization machine is very old and in need of replacement. Of course, the leaky roof and missing floor tiles underscore the dire state of this miracle working department. A neglected backyard shed in America would be provide an upgraded environment to the receiving and recovery “rooms”. Heck, any veterinary clinic would far exceed these conditions. 

The “Diagnostic Center” serves not only this hospital, but the entire area for over 200 kilometers. Other area hospitals depend on the one CT scan machine here, which of course, was broken during our visit. It is very old and the parts are expensive.  Currently, the tube needs to be replaced, and at a cost of USD $40,000, its easy to understand why it remains inoperable. The attached computer is in serious need of upgrading and the x-ray machine needs a direct fluoroscope to safely and thoroughly diagnose the ailments of the vast local population. 

The many other departments of this hospital have equally lengthy lists of needs. The dental department has no e-ray equipment and the scaling machine is in pieces . The children’s ward needs curtains to provide some privacy. The physiotherapy department needs everything. A traction unit  and almost any exercise equipment would be most welcome. The laundry room struggles along with a washer and dryer probably purchased second hand by the Flinstones and won’t last much longer. The room looked like it had just been washed down, but that was simply the result of constant leaking from the equipment. The nursing school, which educates classes of 200 at a time, needs training mannequins , computers and various educational/training equipment. The “private” wards need patient trolleys, wheel chairs and oxygen concentrators. 

Insurance is almost non-existent, and when available, provides almost no reimbursement to the hospital. There is no government funding. They rely solely on the meager amounts collected from the patients, many of which have no capacity to contribute. Maybe older equipment, which has been replaced by new, upgraded models, from hospitals or clinics from the USA, might be made available and could find their way to this remote, life-saving institution. Anyone who knows of any such opportunity would find an eternally grateful recipient here in Nyeri. We would be happy to help make it a reality…… more on that later too. J 

The day flew by and it was time to return to our “compound”. The images we absorbed today will be added to the growing list  which will be etched in our mind for a long, long time. There just has to be something we can do to help this hospital………