Privacy

There is no such thing as privacy here. Not really. The hospital wards are open, bed next to bed without any curtains between. When we go on rounds the bored family members of the other patients will openly stand and stare or eavesdrop as each patient is examined. Sometimes they will even become our translators when the patient speaks a language that the staff do not. HIPPA doesn’t exist here.

            There are two beds in the delivery room. Two hard, metal beds. Yesterday they were both occupied when a third lady came in. So we spread out some plastic on the floor and she delivered right there on the cold cement floor between the two beds.

            In the bloc at least, we try to keep things a little more private. Sometimes we even “lock” the doors by sticking the metal IV hanger from the gurney through the door handles to keep it shut.

There are beds on the porch outside the hospital. I would hate to be out there, it’s cold here at night, but the patients technically have a roof over their heads then and at least the sick are not sleeping straight on the hard ground.

Things are dirty here too. Dirt and spit are mixed together on the walls and floor. Garbage has the uncanny knack of finding its way into corners and under beds despite the trashcans that are emptied daily. The delivery room has blood dried on the walls even after being scrubbed with bleach water and the OR has cobwebs in the corners and dustbunnies under shelves.

And yet, somehow it is beautiful. It seems to illustrate the culture here. These people rely on each other. They have community even if they don’t have much else. Some parts of it may be malfunctional and confused. Maybe it’s not perfectly up to the standards of Western society. But they have a willingness to help each other that is beautiful to behold. Women who don’t know each other will hand off their babies to each other when they need both hands free for a task. Men who are here with their wives or other family will translate and explain things so the patient will understand.

            This place is both amazing and infuriating at the same time. And I love it and I hate it all at once.