All hands on deck!

Morning meeting at placement today was held in the hospital’s laboratory as 10 beds were set up in our usual meeting room.  The hospital is increasing the number of beds to increase funding.

I joined the doctors and nurses in the labour unit as they did morning rounds. I do this most mornings, as they go to each patient and update the new staff on the events of the night before. The nurses give a TB shot and polio via mouth to the new babies. I then cleaned the patient’s beds and bedside tables, being careful of the used needles left on the tables.

I did a simple abdominal wound dressing change. Again, gauze and tape. Not too complicated.

A c-sectionwas done today for a lady with prolonged labour. The woman had been fully dilated since midnight with no progression in labour. The baby’s head had dropped, causing for a difficult urinary catheter insertion. In the middle of the surgery the surgeon called in the head surgeon as there was an unknown mass visible which appeared to have its own blood supply. Baby was removed, and chaos followed. This was the first time we were hands on during surgery. Baby aspirated on meconium and had to be suctioned for what felt like forever (using a foot pump suction machine), then was given oxygen.  I am sad to say that I never did find out what that mass was. 

On the way home I stopped to buy bottled water at a small convenience store. I only had 10,000tsh and therefore needed change. She didn’t have change for 10,000tsh, so told me to come back tomorrow. 10,000tsh is $7. A convenience store didn’t have change for $7! However, she was super trusting, and let me take the water with me anyways.

Laundry day!