The private hospital was a white two story building next to a busy street. The front steps went up to the front door and doctor’s offices. I was surprised when we passed up the stairs and walked over to the “driveway.” Walking down the ramp to a big open room under the building reminded me of “underground garages” back home. As it turned out this was not a garage, it was actually a recovery room. My first thought upon seeing the rows of beds and people was that I had gone back in time.
On a bed in the middle of the room and surrounded by about twelve other beds, was the woman I was visiting. She had just had major abdominal surgery and here she was lying on a bed that was surrounded by other people recovering from their surgeries and their families. The room was open to the elements, the dirty street outside, by grated windows and the open “garage door.” Families were scattered around the room that consisted of men, women, babies and small children. In America, small children and babies would not be allowed to visit patients in the hospital due to infections/diseases. This was definitely not an American hospital with its hermetically sealed clean rooms. There were no white sheets on the beds, no curtains between beds for privacy, no TV, and no trays of food with jello, food and drinks! There was a stove off to one side where the families could heat up water and cook simple meals. The man I was with said that mosquitoes were a big problem at night, but they had a little-smoky thing they use here (it’s a coil that looks like an electric stove burner and one end is lit which produces smoke, like incense).
The patients were being attended to by young men called “doctor’s assistants.” I have no idea what their qualifications were, but they appeared to be attending to the patients as best they could. When I asked if this woman who was recovering from surgery had been up and walking around, they all looked at me strangely. She had been in bed for seven days. In America, most patients are encouraged to get up and around as soon as they are able in order to prevent blood clots and pneumonia. I think I planted a seed though, because the next day they had her sitting up, which is a start to getting her up and around!
Seeing the conditions of this “private” hospital which are so far removed from a typical American hospital, I can’t help but think of the need for universal health care for all. I hope readers will realize that I am not painting a picture of all hospitals or the medical field in general in India. I remember seeing from the road the state-of-the-art hospital and medical school in Delhi. This blog was simply my observation of one rural Indian woman's experience recovering from her surgery. It would be interesting to see what kind of experience someone with some means would have in a hospital, although, I intend not to find out first hand! I have been told "Health is Wealth" by my students and am trying to take that to heart and remain healthy!
Next blog....Vaccinations
On a bed in the middle of the room and surrounded by about twelve other beds, was the woman I was visiting. She had just had major abdominal surgery and here she was lying on a bed that was surrounded by other people recovering from their surgeries and their families. The room was open to the elements, the dirty street outside, by grated windows and the open “garage door.” Families were scattered around the room that consisted of men, women, babies and small children. In America, small children and babies would not be allowed to visit patients in the hospital due to infections/diseases. This was definitely not an American hospital with its hermetically sealed clean rooms. There were no white sheets on the beds, no curtains between beds for privacy, no TV, and no trays of food with jello, food and drinks! There was a stove off to one side where the families could heat up water and cook simple meals. The man I was with said that mosquitoes were a big problem at night, but they had a little-smoky thing they use here (it’s a coil that looks like an electric stove burner and one end is lit which produces smoke, like incense).
The patients were being attended to by young men called “doctor’s assistants.” I have no idea what their qualifications were, but they appeared to be attending to the patients as best they could. When I asked if this woman who was recovering from surgery had been up and walking around, they all looked at me strangely. She had been in bed for seven days. In America, most patients are encouraged to get up and around as soon as they are able in order to prevent blood clots and pneumonia. I think I planted a seed though, because the next day they had her sitting up, which is a start to getting her up and around!
Seeing the conditions of this “private” hospital which are so far removed from a typical American hospital, I can’t help but think of the need for universal health care for all. I hope readers will realize that I am not painting a picture of all hospitals or the medical field in general in India. I remember seeing from the road the state-of-the-art hospital and medical school in Delhi. This blog was simply my observation of one rural Indian woman's experience recovering from her surgery. It would be interesting to see what kind of experience someone with some means would have in a hospital, although, I intend not to find out first hand! I have been told "Health is Wealth" by my students and am trying to take that to heart and remain healthy!
Next blog....Vaccinations
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