Wairimu Leah posted: " Ever been to a public hospital then I guess my experience is no different from yours. I wrote this article, at the beginning of this year but never posted and here I am. Happy New Month. Can't believe the first half of the year is done. Photo by Jon" MOONLIT
Ever been to a public hospital then I guess my experience is no different from yours. I wrote this article, at the beginning of this year but never posted and here I am. Happy New Month. Can't believe the first half of the year is done.
After going to several private hospitals for months, with no success in finding a cure, I had no courage to continue splashing money only to still be sick after taking the prescribed medications. This saw me embarking on a journey to a referral hospital that had long been praised for having the best doctors and I can surely put a rubber stamp to those sentiments. Early in the morning, or so I thought, I left the house with optimism that I'd finally get to the root of what had been ailing me but I had no clue what was awaiting me. I have come to realize, we can plan our day but the activities end up planning the day, and often it's always beyond our control.
Well, I had been prepped for a long queue but I guess details of how I'd spend close to 8 hours on 'them long lines' had been left out. I joined the rest in queuing, not knowing what was going on at the forefront only to realize I had been in the same spot for close to one hour. There was an eruption of complaints and a message was being passed across, that the registration staff were still warming their beds. In any public facility, I guess it is usual for employees to not take their work seriously as the prospect of losing their jobs is very slim. As humble servants, who were all desperate for these services we had no choice other than wait until they would be energized to get to work because what other choice did we have? Riot? Definitely No. We were all sick thus having no energy to fight the systems . There is a way you are humbled once you visit public institutions.
The queue was now in motion but my day was hugely affected after I saw a picture that will be difficult to erase. A bus being driven on a high speed came rushing in and it was parked near the casualty and 3 men were running helter-skelter looking for a stroller. We all shifted our eyes to see what was going on because minding our business has never been our full-time job hence our curiosity leading us to leave the queue. I know most must have regretted the sight of what they saw as immediately, sounds of shock filled the air.
A man in red, a conductor, who was unconscious and probably on the pathway to eternity was pulled out of the bus. Ever heard people say that you can go to the hospital while sick but leave when you are sicker? Great respect for the hospital staff considering that they witness these horrific scenes daily. I choose not to go into details but that incident left me thinking of how this man had woken up early and probably planned his day, of how he would do 'many rounds' to make money but the day had other plans for him. When your plan for your day, do you ever think something could go wrong?
Anyway, after 1.5 hours, I got to the counter only for the systems to fail therefore having no choice but wait until they'd be 'treated' and allow me to be treated. I left after 30 minutes, got my blood pressure taken then got directed to where I'd get the services. Well, well, I found hundreds of people ahead of me and my hope was about to leave the window but that meant I'd have to leave without getting any diagnosis. I lined up even though at this point I was partially exhausted.
As usual with Kenyans, they didn't shy away from exercising their intelligence by giving suggestions on how they thought the hospital should function. They all had solutions and I guess Kenyans are very smart people but I don't know what happens when they get to the ballot box. They didn't refrain from criticizing the current government and were feeling betrayed as they were dealing with the realizations the promises made were empty. I had a chat with some patients, and some had traveled from other counties and were all looking for a cure for what was ailing them.
Finally, after 2.5 hours, I accessed the room and explained my woes to this female doctor who noted everything on my card. It disturbed me how my pain which had been ongoing for quite a while was condensed on a quarter page in less than 3 minutes. I have been dealing with this problem for a long and now these were only the details that had been obstructed. How? Probably our problems are not as big as we tend to imagine.
I left to get the x-ray plus laboratory services and that meant partaking in the long queues. After I was done with that, I had to queue again so that the doctor would check the results and give me medication. Anyway, my day was complete after 13 hours in this referral hospital, and I could no longer pro-long it, in the chemist. I decided to get the drugs somewhere else due to exhaustion. At this point, I was receiving uncountable calls from my loved ones.
On my way home, I thought of that woman who shed a tear once she read her ultra-sound scan report. Thought of that lady who told me she couldn't fathom the thought of being pregnant and wondered about her next move. Thought of the man's family and of how they'd receive the news of his accident. Thought of the number of people who had walked through the gate but not to ever see it. Thought of how our bodies are susceptible even to the diseases we fear. Thought, thought, thought and I couldn't stop. Thought about life, wrote this article despite being tired, prayed and retired to bed thinking of how my body has been intoxicated with these meds and hoping that this time around, I'll be better.
Months later, I'm in a very great space health wise and I have not taken meds ever since.
Ever found yourself in a public institution where you needed their services? How was it?
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