August 26th, 2017 by jenniferolmstead
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Woke early as usual. The catch is so did everyone else. It was good though as we all took quiet time. I got porridge for breakfast again, makes me so happy. I did eat too much though, but it is just so yummy.
Went to hospital early hoping to join the worship session, I was so early it had not started. So, I went to the HDU (high dependency unit) and started my day. Glad I got there early, it was super busy. They really get going at 8am and have much of the day done by 10 am. They were washing and bathing and changing dressings on everyone. I was able to help in the way of holding hands. The nursing education nurse came in and reviewed charts, assigning education for the day and observing the students. She stayed longer than intended as the family of a young child, who is still very ill, was trying to make the mother sing him out against doctor orders and take him home. Evidently, they think the child is sick due to a demon and they must get it away from us. It is a Muslim family. She was able to talk to the mother after the family left and they stayed, at least for one more day. It amazes me how many do leave against doctor orders.
She had just left when the doctor came in to round, halfway through the surgical doctor came in to round. The nurses were running everywhere. Afterwards it was time for the nurses to take all the doctor orders and put them in the nursing part of the chart so that med changes were noted and such. Five were discharged to other floors. By lunch time they were all gone and we already had two more. We got three after lunch. My accomplishment today was to get a patient to get out of bed and walk. It actually took a number of hours and multiple attempts to accomplish this. When we were able to get the mother to understand that moving would help the low-grade fevers he keeps getting she was on it. That poor boy didn’t have a chance. He got up and walked a couple laps in the unit, when he tried to get back to bed she blocked the way and made him walk some more. It was actually funny to watch. After the second lap, he was standing up straight and everything. Of course, he denied that he felt better and instantly hunched over if you asked him. He cannot admit that a nurse is right.
Lunch was so amazing today, we got salad. I think it was actually cabbage with tomatoes and onion, but it was green. I’m finding it interesting what excites me here. I was asked if I will come back again and work here for a while, the suggestion was 6 months or 2 years. I said that I would like to someday but it won’t happen for a long time. I would like to return. They do such amazing work here. I was telling someone today how God works in our lives and that if it’s HIS plan I will return. If not then I trust he has a better plan and I will carry these people in my heart forever.
At the end of the day I spent a little time looking at fetal ultrasounds again, I think I’m getting better at identifying landmarks in them. I was even able to help locate the femur. Sounds like not much but if you saw the image you’d totally get it.
It still amazes me though that mothers don’t want to feed their new babies. I do not think I will ever understand that. It is not cultural, just lazy. A new mother just laid they’re while a nursing student and nursing assistant both worked together to try and hold the baby in position and encourage feeding, they could not even get the mother to roll to her side to help. Not all the mothers are like this, most take good care of their babies and are proud of them, though they are most proud if it is a boy. Except one tribe which prefers girls.
The monkey was spotted by Helen and Naomi, but they were not able to get a good picture. So, the hunt continues. It is more like a small baboon and moves very quickly. I took a picture with a cow on the way home today, it just amazes me that with so much food they are so small. Full grown they come about to my waist.

August 26th, 2017 by jenniferolmstead
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I got up early this morning and spent extra time in prayer and reading God’s word. It really got my day off to a good start. Breakfast was great fun. Noodles made from rice topped with coconut and sugar, a great start to a great day. I find I really like the noodles especially eating them with my fingers.
I took the new nurse student, Holly, with me to introduce her to some of the nursing staff. They were quite happy to meet her. After checking in we went to spend some time in post-natal ward. It was kinda fun, but the babes all look so tiny. Average birth weight is about 2.5 kg which is about 5 lbs. The positive is that they were all healthy. The nurses reviewed their daily routine with me and suggested I come back one morning before 8am as they are busy from 8-9 with morning things such as dressing changes, otherwise just paperwork and education. I will do that one day next week. We were invited to observe as the gave a baby a bath. This was fun and new for Holly. She has not done her rotations yet that include baby stuff so she is very excited about learning this area. Her plan is to go into missions with her soon to be husband. She is planning on marrying next summer after she graduates. Then they will both get 1-2 years’ experience, he plans on teaching, then off to the mission field. I am very happy for them. So, after the bath we went back to the pediatric floor.
It was a slow day for me today. They discharged all but 56 patients. I was hoping to help more with this but my efforts were entertaining at best for many. I was able to run to the pharmacy and get translation of some medication orders. I helped Holly remove IV catheters on 4 patients which she found quite exciting and I played with a couple of toddlers, which is always fun. I told one of the nurses I felt a little useless for my last day on the floor. At first, she said yes, then when she figured out what it meant she quickly changed and said I was lots of help as I was entertaining. Translation is sometimes more fun than the actual conversation. Before leaving Sabi, the head nurse, asked me in Hindi when I was leaving. She said this and looked at me as though I should understand and be able to answer. I looked at her and said what is … my attempt at her word. She got to laughing so hard and told all the other nurses about her prank on me before she translated. It was quite funny. I am going to miss the nurses here they are so amazing.
After work, I walked home with Holly. We were met at the door by the younger daughter of the house Deborah. She was eager for company and offered coffee or tea. As I had been trying to get a cup of tea for hours I excitedly said yes. So, 30 minutes later no tea or coffee and we had to remind her to finish her homework so she did not get in trouble with her mom. We offered to play games wither later if she did her homework and let me get my blog done and Holly wanted to clean up. She was in our room before I even got started with her iPad and wanted to show me photos. They were wonderful storied and I enjoyed hearing the storied behind them, but 1 hour later I still had gotten nothing done. Then the Irish girls got in and offered tea. I again said yes quite excitedly. This time I did get tea and we played games till almost dinner time. After dinner, we went outside for internet. The only way we can connect is to all stand out on the stairs in the front yard about 25 feet from the house. We are just happy when it’s not raining, at least not heavy. It was a little drizzly but not enough to keep us in. we have also been working on laundry during this time. My laundry bag has come in very handy. We all take turns washing and rinsing to ensure we each have something to wear every day. If we hang it outside for the first day and then bring it in for a day it seems to dry quite nicely. Things are really damp here due to the high humidity and so keeping things dry enough to prevent molding is a challenge, but we seem to have figured out a system that is working for all of us.
They are waiting to play toss the pig and Dutch bliss. So, I am going to learn some new games.

August 26th, 2017 by jenniferolmstead
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Morning breakfast was fun as usual. Dr. Ann was on call last night and got called out this morning so breakfast was a few minutes late and disorganized. We were served the usual dal cakes, which is like a crepe or thin pancake made with rice water, and no dip. When the cook remembered we got a lovely chickpea dip which was quite tasty. We all laughed about it, including the cook who had prepared it and left it in the counter. I got to the hospital a little late and missed the devotional today, which I found quite sad.
I checked in at the pediatric ward and then headed to the nurse’s office to make cycle beads as discussed yesterday. This was quite exciting to know that I have something they feel is valuable. This took up a good portion of the morning. I first met a nursing student that just arrived from England and was in time to watch a slide show and video about Makunda hospital which I found very interesting. It explained many of the services and how they decide who needs how much help financially.
Then back to the pediatric floor. It was very busy today so it was difficult for me to know where to jump in. We had to admit a patient and had no beds. This meant the patient sat on a bench until the doctor rounded and we could discharge. It was quite chaotic. I covered the floor during lunch breaks again. I am getting better stepping in and helping when patient families ask. Mostly I reassure them that it is ok and they are not forgotten. If they ask about medications I tell them we will give later and if it’s about an x-ray I reassure them that the doctor reviewed and is aware of the results. I had one father ask me to look at an x-ray and then asked if it looked terrible. Not being well versed at reading abdominal x-rays I just reassured him that the doctor would review, I think I saw an enlarged liver but not sure and definitely not going to tell the dad. He was happy with that answer.
After lunches, I got to pass some of the 1400 medications and write the nurses notes. It was great to feel like I was doing real nursing. However, I had to ask for help a lot as I do not recognize most of the medications. I am learning though and feel that I will be much more prepared for the other wards next week after spending this much time on this ward. I am also thinking that the week I spend in outpatient clinic I may spend a few more days on this ward as I am learning so much and am quite fond of many of the nurses.
After the shift, I went for tea with one of the nurses which was very nice and then she found some nurses for me to walk home with so I did not have to walk alone.
The girls from Ireland talked the nursing student from England into moving in with us so we have a full dorm and are really looking forward to learning together. She is going to come with me tomorrow to get to know some of the nurses and then choose her rotation schedule.
One highlight for today was discussing how much God is involved in our lives and how he guides us if we take time to listen. I learned from the Irish girls about a bible study held Sunday evening that we are all excited to attend. The nurses are already telling me how much they will miss me and asking when I will return. They are also trying to talk me out of going to the other wards. Part of me would love to stay on this ward for the duration, but I know that I have much to learn and need to go to other wards as well.

August 26th, 2017 by jenniferolmstead
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I have tried to capture my daily events in this blog so far. This [posting is more about the emotions. I started off excited to be here and to have this opportunity. Then I became frustrated feeling useless. Then excited again after my first meeting the head of the nurse’s education program, actually I’ve since learned she is head of one section and another nurse is head of the other. My first day on the floor I felt as if I was going to spend a whole month just sitting, then as the nurses became more comfortable with me I began to do more.
That sums up much of what I have said so far in my postings. The ways in which I have seen God move and work however are very different. I tend to get caught up in trying to be useful that I forget to stop and look for the hand of God. He opened the doors for me to come and He is responsible for my usefulness, not me. Watching to see how many people waiting to be seen, almost all Hindu or Muslim, that will sit down and listen to the morning devotional. Or seeing who sings along with the worship. God is using the people here to do something amazing among a largely forgotten people. The staff come from all over India. Some are new nurses looking for experience and some come as they feel they are called to do so by God. Those that come simply to work and gain experience are exposed to the gospel in many ways. India has a very large population, only 2% is Christian. That means that without places such as this many will never here about Jesus. They will never know forgiveness or peace.
Being a place where I can talk freely about God and Jesus without repercussion in this country is so amazing. We talk about what we miss at home and how much we are going to enjoy our first shower, yet in doing so we are missing what is here. Missing what God is doing and most importantly missing an opportunity to grow closer to God.
With this in mind I have made a decision to make an intentional effort that every time I feel hot, sticky or uncomfortable, which I must say is often, I will take each of those moments as reminders to look for God in the moment and see how many wonderful things he has to show me.

August 26th, 2017 by jenniferolmstead
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Why is it that being sent to the office always makes us feel as if we are in trouble? Let’s start at the beginning. Breakfast had a special treat for one of my friends from Ireland. The lady of the house, Dr. Ann, was informed that Helen had missed her anniversary yesterday. So, this morning she got up and made scones for her for breakfast. She was so touched I honestly thought she was going to cry. She didn’t speak much, which is not her normal, but Naomi couldn’t say enough wonderful things about them. They were both so surprised and excited. It was such an amazing moment. Then off to the hospital.
I took time to listen to the morning worship and then went to the ward before the devotional. The nurses were happy to see me. Thought what I do is limited I am discovering that they are using me for an extra nurse to cover for lunches and when they need to run errands within the hospital. Today I helped to calculate medication dosages, not easy for either of our brains and so glad we both double checked. I started the morning by reviewing the orientation book that is used for all new nurses, it is in English. Then I went to the NICU for about an hour. It was very sad. It was mostly newborns, however if very young babies are brought in and need more care or oxygen they are admitted to this ward. They do not have enough warmers so they are two to a warmer, and I was told when it gets busy they often have three in each. The baby that most got my attention was about one and a half days old and not expected to live through today. During rounds the nurse informed the doctor that the parents want to take their baby home today, they have been told and yet do not understand that the baby will die. It was born with some genetic defects. Testing is not available here so bot identified, but not much that can be done anyway. There is a surgery that would help, but the baby would not survive the transport or the surgery. Another baby was also not doing well. It was intubated at birth with no respiratory response. It was medicated for seizures which continue till it was almost 1 day old. They seem to have subsided with the continues use of multiple medications. The electric here cycles between batteries, so there are lapses, this means the breathing machine stops and restarts several times a day. The baby is now sometimes taking a breath during these pauses. Once again, the family wants to take their baby home and though they have been explained many times, they do not understand. This baby at least for today will stay, the other will be discharged at family request this afternoon, if till alive. As a policy, they try to get the babied back to their mothers as quickly as possible for the health of both. They had a mother at the door today yelling and slamming doors, I could not understand most but she used English to accuse the nurses and doctors of steeling her baby. I waited till she was gone before I left and went back to the pediatric ward.
Shortly after I got back the nurse in charge received a call for me to go to the nurse’s main, my first thought was I had permission to go in there. I was a little nervous. I got there and found out they were wanting me to help them make these string things I had mentioned and teach the nursing class how to use them. All worked up for nothing. Oh, and while I was there I got to try sticky corn, it’s a type of corn grown here and it is sticky to eat right of the cob. While fun really.
The ward was quite busy today. Only one discharge and a few admits; some transfers as well. I walked in we had five patients, which is unusual to be so low, and left with 13 patients. Had one really scary moment and I had several nurse names running through my head that I wished were there beside me. The nurse gave an IV injection a baby, one we had calculated together, and then problem. The baby had been screaming at everything since it came to the floor. Well it screamed so much while she was pushing the med through the IV line that it choked on its own saliva and wasn’t breathing. You could see the baby trying to cough and breath. The nurse was trying to rub the bay back and keep it upright in an attempt to help it clear. The mother however kept trying to lay the baby down while yelling at her that she had killed her baby with the injection. I think every mom in the ward was at her side and staring at us, I was glad I ran down when I heard the commotion but it was not a fun place to be. The baby was fine just needed a few seconds to calm down and clear its throat. Not fun at all. I was trying to remember my baby CPR and praying please don’t let this baby stop breathing, ok maybe it was more begging. Anyway, God heard and the baby is fine.
As If that wasn’t enough excitement this part was fun though. The tic-tac-toe game I took was up at the nurse desk when I came in this morning. Some of the nurses played with it and were having fun when one offered to buy it for her daughter, I couldn’t let her pay me for it so I told her she could have it. Mistake, all the other nurses got upset as they wanted to play with it as well. So, I ended the day with one really happy nurse, the same one the mom had yelled at, and some disappointed nurses. I have not told them I have a treat for them on Saturday. Hopefully that will make them all feel better.

August 26th, 2017 by jenniferolmstead
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Started my day as usual. Woke up early and stayed in bed until others were up and moving, then dressed ad breakfast. Breakfast was great today mashed potatoes and millet noodles with coconut and sugar on top. We discovered last night while talking that I share a birthday with Dr Ann, this mean I have to continue to eat with my fingers, no matter is served, every year on my birthday. She was hoping I could stay so we could celebrate together as she has never shared her birthday before. I cannot stay, but eating with my fingers to remember her on her special day I can do. She asked if my husband would object, I said no. I would simply explain this was in her honor and he would not argue, he probably would not participate but he would not deny me this simple pleasure. Something about eating mashed potatoes with your fingers is just fun. I made plans to go to market with my roommates from Ireland, so far, I have not adopted their accent. We decided to leave at 2 to ensure we were back before dark.
I took time to join the bible study at the hospital before reporting to the ward, it was in Hindi but I do enjoy listening to it. I was late and missed the singing. I was impressed with how many patients waiting to be seen came and sat down to listen. It was quite encouraging that the message of Jesus is getting through to them.
My time on the floor was fun today. There are only five patients, which rare as they are usually quite full. This meant time to relax and chat. We talked a little about my home. I took time to read the patients charts again, I am getting better and understanding them. The nurse in charge of the nursing school came through today for rounds, I found this very interesting. I could talk with her afterwards. She asked what I thought. I told her that things are quite different and I am learning from them. I also told her about not positioning a patient flat while feeding through an NG tube. She agreed this was a good idea and ordered this to be done and the information forwarded to all shifts. She also asked about verifying position before feeding, we discussed that it is not financially feasible to verify position with x-ray.
We have a little girl on the floor that cries every time we get ear her bed. She came from the high dependency ward and just knows we are going to hurt her. The nurse student that gave her a bath had quite a time. I took my last tic-tac-toe game today and after she had settled I took it to her bed. I had played it multiple times with the nurses earlier. I did not try to explain the pattern we just took turns placing the beads and then starting over. She smiled and seem to enjoy the game. I let her keep it which made her happy. When I tried to play with her again after assisting while her IV was changed she was not so willing to play but I did get a smile out of her when I dropped some of the beads down her shirt and pretended to put them in her ears.
I left a little early today to go to market, I was a bit disappointed. I have been told that locals make some wonderful stuff and fabrics, but I saw a lot of dollar store type things. Many of the markets were not open though. I did pick up some juices to help my tummy. My body is missing fruit and vegetables as both are eaten only minimally here, so sugary fruits juices is the best I can do for now. It was fun to explore a little and the ride in the motor rickshaw was fun. I’ll have to get a good picture of one before I come home.
My phone does not work here we have decided, I need a code I do not have. So, I am using the hotspot of one of the Irish girls staying here with me, she is really very nice and was happy to help.

August 26th, 2017 by jenniferolmstead
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I am sleeping better in the heat, though not by much. After breakfast, I walked to the hospital with the other two volunteers staying here with me. We were picked up by one of the nurses and rode in a motor rickshaw, it was fun. I’ll have to try it again one day when I have a camera with me. I was taken to the pediatric ward and introduced to the nurses to start my day. It was a bit frustrating at first as they just kept telling me to sit down. I would stand and try to follow and would be told to sit down. Then it was explained that they were waiting for the doctor to round and were just preparing for that. So, I sat and waited. The doctor rounded and still I was told to sit. An 11-month child was brought to the ward and I just walked myself over and got in the middle of the admit. Turned out to be a good idea. I attempted to start an IV, but failed. The child was moving so much and had very rolley veins. The more experienced nurse in the ward tried and failed as well, so I felt a little better. The room is very dim and the only light source is the window, I had difficulty even finding a vein let alone keeping it. As she prepared for the third attempt she stated that this was the last chance. I felt bad for the child as she had to chase the vein which is always painful especially in the wrist area. A surprising point was that the nurse reused the needle and cannula on her second attempt. I was very stunned to say the least.
I was able to review the chart for the child that I saw brought in yesterday. The child is on several antibiotics and special feeding through an NG tube. There I no specific diagnosis yet, though labs have been drawn. The child is 2 years old and weighs 8 kg, that’s about 16 pounds. The nurses state that children come in this way often. The parents look the same way. They are educated on proper nutrition for a child, however many simply do not have the financial means to provide it.
I was able to remove 2 IV lines for children being discharged. The first on cried like crazy. The second started to cry but stopped when I looked at him and shushed him. Most people understand a little English but I was not sure how else to communicate that it would not hurt. Watched me very intently, but did not pull away. Later before leaving his father made him say thank you to me, it was quite wonderful.
Next was my new not so secret admirer. I’m guessing he was about 5-6 in a bright green shirt. He just stood in the doorway and smiled at me. He laughed very loudly when I spoke to him. Eventually he began to make motions indicating inserting an IV or giving a shot in the back side. I offered to give him one and he just laughed. The other staff tried to talk to him and ask him why he was there but he either ignored or laughed. Someone ran him off and he returned with a little girl, she wore a pink and purple dress and looked to be about 1 year younger. She ran off the first time I waved at her, but he was persistent and stayed. I tried ignoring him so he started stomping his feet to get my attention. He eventually got up the courage to come and sit next to me on the bench for about 1 minute, then he was up and back to the doorway. This whole process took about an hour. The nurses had shift change during this time and thought it was very cute. I was told I had an admirer for sure. One nurse tried to be logical and tell him I was too old, but he just laughed at her.
Before leaving I was asked if I would-be back tomorrow and I said yes. I was asked when to leave and said that was up to her. I was there to learn and help so I would do whatever she wanted. She smiled told me to leave and she would have a list for me tomorrow, with a big smile. As I was on my way out, walking with one of the nurses, we saw the boy in a motor rickshaw with his family and he was still smiling big as could be, so of course I had to wave.
After dinner, I was playing a game with the other volunteers and the youngest daughter in the house, I’ll tell you her name as soon as I learn it (I think it’s Deborah but not sure with the accent). Anyway, we were enjoying our game when all of a sudden, we hear this loud horrible noise coming from the next room. It was the rooster. I thought it was being prepared for tomorrows dinner as loud and obnoxious as it sounded. It turns out that the rooster had gotten into something, not sure what, and was being placed in the chicken coop. They normally wander freely here, so I we figured the coop was like chicken prison. We all laughed until we cried. It was just the most horrible noise and unexpected.

August 26th, 2017 by jenniferolmstead
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I did not do much today, removed a couple IV lines for discharging patient, but I learned a lot. Much of which clarified previous information. I am learning most importantly to question much of what I here as the accent and pronunciation of words often sounds like something entirely different. Also, if they do not fully understand my question they just answer what they think I asked, not exactly accurate.
Where to begin. First, I’ll start with scheduling. The hospital wards are all staffed round the clock with nurses and one doctor is on call all hours, this rotates mostly among visiting doctors when available. There are a few countries with programs specifically in international health. The students are required to spend at least 6 months, usually the last six, working in a rural setting such as Makunda. These doctors are already certified as physicians and this rotation is for international health specifically so they usually take turns being on call. The nurse schedule is quite interesting. A few have a set schedule of working six eight hour shifts and having Sunday off. Most rotate. They work a day shift, an evening shift, a night shift, then a day off before repeating the cycle. This ensures coverage of all wards at all times. There is some variance, but that is the general routine.
The pediatric ward has 15 beds. This ward has opened within the past year. They are working on opening a new neonatal unit as well. The current one has 5 beds and often has 2-3 babied in each warmer. They have the ward built and the incubators, they are waiting for funding to get oxygen supplied to the ward before it can be used. The hospital has really grown in the last couple years thanks to outside donations. They have plaques placed everywhere this has happened. It is very encouraging to know that people realize the importance of this hospital.
To help everyone see how important this hospital is I’ll fill you in where I got more information and corrections on the two-year-old with febrile seizures for 1 month. The child was taken to a local hospital, possibly government, with no or little funding. The hospital has a limited medication supply and IV fluids at best, this is the general condition of all local hospitals. The parents were told the child just had a fever. The child was given fever medication, similar to Tylenol, and Iv fluids only for one month. After one month when the parents could not pay the hospital stated they could do nothing more and referred them to the Makunda hospital. This is quite common, though very sad. This child has significant contractures of his left hand, arm and leg as well as possible brain damage. The encouraging note is that the nurse I was speaking with has seen this many times and occasionally the children will walk out of the hospital after a couple of months. I can just imagine how difficult this is for the parents. I feel my one contribution today was educating the nurses on the importance of raising the head of the bed when feeding through an NG tube to prevent aspiration and pneumonia.
A patient was discharged today, a baby born prematurely and proudly catholic, Christian in their understanding. It is a little boy and as of yet was unnamed. They asked me for some Christian name ideas and then stated that since he was born on a saint’s day, I could not understand the name as I am not familiar with the catholic saints, and I told them that was a wonderful name. They asked me to pose for pictures with the baby and family members before leaving. It was a very nice family and I told them I would keep they baby in my prayers as he is still very small and weak.
We had another young child, 11 months who was admitted yesterday. Parents decided they wanted to leave today and the mother argued with the doctor who told them the child was still very ill with a lung infection. Shortly after the doctor left the mother went and got the father who came in and yelled at the nurses that they were leaving. After telling them the risks they were told they would be discharged but it would take a little time. While giving meds to the patients it was noticed that the family had left, the child still had an IV line. Someone went and found them in the hospital, the concerned parent of another child, and the came back to have IV removed and in dot what medications were needed from the pharmacy. Part of the discharge process is the family must go get the medications and bring them back so the nurse one knows they actually have it and two can explain how it is to be taken.

August 26th, 2017 by jenniferolmstead
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My first day was quite exciting. No one expected me till Monday, something about jetlag, but I’m glad I went today. I started with a tour, unintentional while trying to find someone. Then once that person was found I got another tour. Then after being traded off I got another tour, and I still had to ask for directions in the hospital. I think I am getting it figured out now, maybe. I spent time with a nurse who has developed a curriculum and is teaching a nurse’s assistant class, it is 1 year long. We reviewed the curriculum together, which I found fascinating. Then we went to the cantina for lunch, I’m e4njoyign this whole eat with your fingers thing. After lunch, I accompanied her on rounds in one ward and then spent some time with the students. That was interesting as they were so nervous they would not speak at first. I explained that later during my stay I will be spending a week with them and I will ask questions, not because I am questioning whether they know what they are learning, but since things are done so differently here.
It started raining when it was time for me to leave and I had left my raincoat at the house. Someone found me an umbrella to borrow and I was walked back to ensure I did not get lost.
I learned some wonderful things today. The hospital originally had 1000 acres, it currently has 300 and some (I don’t remember the exact amount). Most of this is forest. The house and dorms are about ½ mile from the hospital itself. This is because originally it was a leprosy hospital and the staff did not want to contract the disease. Now it just means we get a nice walk. The hospital serves about 90,000 patients a year and delivers about 5000 babies.
The schedule for my stay has been set. I will spend the first week in the pediatric ward, which includes maternity and neonatal wards as well. The next week I will spend in the general wards, there are 3 and one is the high dependency ward which is similar to our ICU. Everyone is in wards, private rooms do not exist, and some people travel 4-6 hours to be seen. The next week I will spend working with the students, which will hopefully be educational for me and them. My last week I will spend in the outpatient, which is like a clinic. I will give more information on each unit when I spend time in them. The hospital here is really quite amazing. They have x-ray, lab, dentist, and pharmacy. They send for ultrasound, about 1 hour away. The staff all live at or near the hospital. They are encouraging me to be quite involved and I am asked questions about how we do things compared to how they do things by various staff. It is always a fun discussion.
I have had some moments of frustration since my arrival, wondering if I would be able to do anything helpful. After today I feel reassured that God has a plan and this is worth the time away from home.
Saw some things today that were just amazing, and not in a positive way. To describe services at the hospital I must first point out that everyone is in a ward. There are multiple wards such as a female ward and a male ward; however, depending on number of patients and conditions the wards are mixed with both male and female in each. The hospital has a cantina where food is provided, however the family of each patient must go and get the patients food and bring it to them. The hospital does not have staff for this service. There is no charge for the food to ensure that the patients are eating at least 3 times a day. Two patients I saw I can’t describe how I felt in this format. The first was a young man, early 20’s who was paralyze from waist down following an accident on his bike, which is a common form of transportation here and is often used to carry heavy materials. He had been at a different hospital for 1 month. He arrived here with an open pressure sore on his coccyx. His family brought him here after this tis and the development of the sore as the hospital he was at had done nothing. They came with no x-rays or tests. He had not been repositioned by the staff at all as they believed that if they just left him in the same position he would begin to move on his own. Surprising? Now envision a young boy about 2. His mother carried him into the ward and began looking for a staff member, didn’t care who. The child was brought from another hospital where he had not been helped. He has had a high fever and seizures for about 1 month with no change or improvement in condition. The mother says no one knows why he is like this. The child is extremely mall nourished. I could see the outline of his bones as he seized in her arms. Most of the patients are Hindu, some are Muslim. They come here when their local places have failed, many coming from several hours away. They know this is a Christian hospital and the staff are Christians.

August 26th, 2017 by jenniferolmstead
Posted in Uncategorized|

Sunday is the one day that everyone gets off, except for the nurses who pass medications at the hospital. Nurses also monitor the neonatal and high dependency wards on Sunday. As this was a day to sleep in of course I was up early. I did two loads of laundry by hand before the other volunteers woke up. My roommate volunteers are from Ireland which is quite fun. After everyone else was up we had breakfast which included homemade banana jam (amazing good) and honey from the hospitals bee hive. Then we walked to church together for service that was scheduled to begin at 10am. The hospital operates in English so the service was held entirely in English. I find that interesting. The reasoning is that there are several dialects and languages among the local tribal people and English is mandatory for all students so it is understood by most. We were a few minutes late and the worship had begun when we arrived. The service was attended by all the staff not on duty, including the students. I find it interesting that it is mandatory to attend and the nurses have a mandatory Bible study every morning, which I hope to attend. This is how they share their faith and encourage each other to grow in faith.
The songs that were used during worship were all familiar to me and the other volunteers, which was really great. As this is a very reserved society, I was conscientious of my own worship, not wanting to offend. At first this was awkward as I was more focused on my actions than on worshiping God. As I relaxed however I noticed that I was able to worship fully and no one seemed to mind. They did something I thought was amazing, mass prayer. A man from the office came forward to announce some financial blessings that had been received during the week and then a lady came forward and reminded everyone to pray for the patients’ health as well as that they would come to believe in God. Then she invited everyone to pray in mass prayer before being led in prayer. I don’t have the words to describe what it was like to be praying all together in multiple languages with no hesitation. It was truly inspiring. After a few minutes, we were led in prayer as a congregation. The message was on the good Samaritan. It was a good message and an interesting pint was made that I had not realized before. At the end of the parable when asked by Jesus who had done the right thing the lawyer answered it was the man who cared for the injured man, he did not refer to him as the Samaritan. The speaker included some history from the old testament to help explain the prejudice that existed between the Jews and the Samaritans and then pointed how the choice of words indicates that the lawyer was not willing to overlook his prejudice even after hearing the parable. This shows how strongly our beliefs can affect who we are willing to help and how we view those we are helping.
After the service, I took a short nap and was woken up for lunch. I’m enjoying the food here. I have decided to remain at this house instead of staying with the nurses to ensure I don’t eat something with gluten. I was going to visit the nurses this afternoon, but I took another nap after lunch. I am feeling much better after the extra rest. The other volunteers baked a cake today and we did more laundry together. Everything here is run by battery so we had to stop doing laundry until we have more battery power, not sure how that happens. It is interesting how every so often I hear a few beeps and the power will come back on to certain items and the fans will change to a higher speed.
The doctor asked me some questions about politics which were difficult for me to answer. I explained what I know and understand, which is not much, and stated that to be honest I do not get involved much in politics.