24.07.2018 Nigeria

FIRST DAY IN THE HOSPITAL

The nostalgia of travelling home could have been told by another if our flight Lufthansa had plan crash. Before landing in Nigeria, We were more than two hours hovering round the airport because of visibility problem. The airport workers had announced to the passengers of the eminent danger of landing with poor visibilty. At last it was a successful flight as l was warmly welcomed by my family members at the airport with flowers and cheerful faces. what a moment, such reception has created lasting memorial.

ln such a mood of indelible and lasting memory was l received in the hospital on the first day for practical experiences in the aforementioned hospital. l was offically introduced by the staff in the life-saving institute that combined medical profession and prayers being owned by a catholic Organization. Holy mass is said daily in the hospital with the possibilty of patients receiving communion if desired. The matron took me around and gave me a brief history of the hospital with the working ethics of the hospital. Annunciation hospital is made up of 100 beds position that has two main divisions- general and children, Here , all these illness are accommodated:general surgery, gynecology, Neurology, oncology, dietetics, urology, Hematology, cardiology, Gastroenterology. Maternity ward and children ward are combined.

l stayed with one of the staff in the general ward on the first day.The work lasted for 9 hours from 8.a.m to 2 p.m .The working time phrase  are three namely 8 am-2pm;2pm-10pm;10pm-7am the next morning. The personal care of the patient such as watching the patient,cleaning of the personal belongings are exclusively done by the relatives of the patient thus every patient must have a relative to stay with him to perform such inevitable function.The work of the nurse is to bring out  the necessary drugs for the patient without caring whether such is taken by the patient.It  is assumed that the relative makes such that such medication is administered.

The daily routine of checking for the blood pressure and body temperature is done only on the patient with heart-ailment unlike in Deutschland where such is performed for all in-patients.The first day was made of reflective moment of how patients are carelessly treated in the hospital.Thus ,one who cannot afford a particular drug for his treatment is abandoned to die of such predicament as there is no strong insurance health system.

That is it for today.

Remain blessed,

Sr. Maria Chibuzo Ogu