pictures
on Hanna Gehling (Malawi), 23/Oct/2010 19:42, 34 days ago
This week in delivery was just shocking! Even it started worse then it was for the last 3 days but still a lot of things happened I thought would have only happened in midevil times or so.There was one delivery, everything went well, but when the baby came out I thought "mmmh... its a bit small!" so I checked and surprise! There was another baby in the belly. Both healthy and well but yes the mother didnt know that she was expecting twins. Also preterm deliveries spontanious and of course all the HIV pos. Its just completely back to basic! The problems regarding equipment and propper management of high risk cases because lack of staff still was the most striking I experienced during this week. Actually 80% of all deliveries are high risk and referrals from other hospitals/health clinics. All of these would need constant monitoring and one to one care but is is simply not possible. And because of that the students who pretty much run the whole ward dont get good skills and so things are getting done not good enough when they get done at all. The system collapses in itself. It is amazing and a little wonder that still somehow babies live, somehow life finds a way doesnt it?! But the selection is much harder, it is just not fair. Babies die because there is no free theatre, mothers die because there´s no meds, infusions, care. That´s how the reality looks like here in Malawi, the 3rd world. About three fourth of all people on this earth live in this reality! Its unbelievable! HIV is just one factor, its actually minor towards all the other chellanges these people have to tackle every day! The last woman I looked after was 26 years old, one year younger then me. She was HIV pos. and expected her 7th baby! SEVEN! She had the first when she was 13. That was her live. She was already showing symptoms, she will die soon, leaving 7 orphans because her husband went to South Africa and never returned. What should she expect from this life? It is heartbraking!Just so you can make yourselves a picture, I borought a camera from Jennifer (my flatmate) ->thanks again Jen!These are the hospital grounds, its huge! With a total of 1000 hospital beds it is the biggest hospital in Malawi. Every medical area has its own building and these are connected by these roofed ways. Its like a labyrinth but very interesting architecture.. In a country where its mostly hot and dry propably the best and cheapest solution. What is on top of each other in a european hospital is here next to each other.der Eingang des KrankenhausesDer Passanteneingang vom Highwayein Teil des Krankenhauseswhen you walk out here you come to a little "market" where you can buy bananas and sweets. Good for all the guardians who escort the patients to the hospital. a prayer in the afternoonPaediatrics and childrens clinicone of the paths to other wings of the hospitalAnd when you come to maternety unit and delivery wardway to deliverywhen you come into delivery wardthe sister in charge and one midwife who worked all night and daydelivery room with 14 bedsshowers and toilets for patientssluice roomdelivery beddelivery and suiture packsequipmentbaby units, both not really workingsisters officethese onew were born in the last hour