The Unusual Day (10/8/00)

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Did you ever have one of those days that you knew was going to be unusual?

My first hint was the lady from the visiting medical team running wildly down the hill toward the hospital with an expression of terror mixed with urgency.

 

I was expecting a “normal” day of helping a visiting medical team from the States care for a crowd of medical and dental patients.  As I continued up the hill, wondering why the lady was so excited, I next met Chrysti, our nurse, who had a look of some mix of emotions tied to exhaustion and frustration.  She announced that in room one we had had a normal delivery in the middle of the night.  In room two, we had just delivered the second of a set of twins, and in room three we had a two-month-old that was gravely ill.

 

The place was a buzz with medical folks scurrying around, trying to find things, and making do with what they had, as they tried to deliver the quality of care they were used to giving in The States.

 

Now to understand this scenario better, you have to realize that we only have a clinic at this point.  We had never even delivered one baby at Clinica Loma de Luz.  Occasionally we have a really sick patient that needs transported to La Ceiba for more advanced care, but generally we are an ambulatory clinic only.

 

So, with a crowd of patients waiting at the gate for their appointments with the docs, all the rooms occupied, and all the docs busy, we were beginning this very unusual day like a plunge into ice cold water.  I had been planning on a leisurely cup of coffee, strolling around looking for ways to enhance patient flow and answering questions from our visiting team.

 

As we assessed the situation, the lady and newborn in room one were fine.  We arranged transportation home for them.  The lady and her twins were so so, so we arranged their transport to La Ceiba, along with the sick two-month-old who now had an IV.  When we finally got them all on their way, we had rooms to clean (ever see a delivery room after an emergency delivery?)

 

Finally, as nerves settled, the rooms readied, much less serious patients were given their appointments, and the day kind of got back to “normal”.

 

Dave Drozek with

 

Thoughts from Honduras

 

PS:  I saw the two-month-old in the clinic yesterday (Oct 9) and she is doing well.  All the babies and moms were doing well at last report!

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