I was fortunate to visit the ministry with our two oldest children, Nathan and Kaelyn this past May. It was an amazing opportunity to witness and be a part of every aspect of our ministry, Divine Hope Orphan Advocates. I will be sharing a blog post highlighting each area of our ministry and what we experienced when we were in Zambia.
I stared at a woman in disbelief as she explained to me her recent experience at the local hospital. "The doctor gave me Tylenol and told me to go home." she said.
Despite the visit to the hospital, this poor woman was still suffering from a severe headache, dizziness, and blackout periods. I began to worry about a stroke. I looked at her lower legs which were tight from swelling. Her blood pressure was 188/115. She was on the brink of a hypertensive crisis and the Tylenol that the doctor gave her would certainly not solve the problem.
The medical care this woman received is typical of the public hospitals in Zambia. If you want decent care, you must visit a private hospital and even that doesn’t compare to the care in the USA. I heard horror stories that it was common to be slapped and yelled at by nurses and doctors while in labor. Treatment for simple, preventable, long-term health complications like high blood pressure, are poorly treated or left untreated with a prescription for Tylenol. Any person can go into a pharmacy and buy prescription drugs, but are never instructed how to properly take the medication.
An elderly woman we care for had two, large, painful masses on her neck and cheek. DHOA gave her money to go to the hospital. This sweet woman spent all day in queue waiting to see a doctor. Finally, when it was her turn, the doctor rushed in the room and handed her a paper to take to the pharmacy. Tylenol and an antibiotic....with no instruction as to how to take them and no evidence that they would even help her condition. No scans were done, no doctor assessed her, but her appointment and travel cost her $100.
Another woman complained of difficulty walking because of pain. The doctor told her she had “fat knees.” I noticed she had severe inflammation and swelling of her knee joints due to arthritis. It doesn’t take a RN to know her problem wasn’t “fat knees.” All I could do for this poor woman was give her ibuprofen and instructions how to take to help decrease her pain.
Again, the question was raised, the needs are too great, what can we do?! We start with one. On this trip, the one thing we could do was deliver basic healthcare information at seminars we held. This May I used my simple nursing experience to teach on the causes, symptoms, complications, and treatment of high blood pressure, diabetes, STD’s, and family planning. I taught the congregation at Divine Word of Life, and the women at Chongwe Baptist, as well as our first women’s conference at DHOA. We also performed blood pressure checks. Praise the Lord that the teaching was reported to be very helpful.
Wallace, Bertha, and I began to dream about phase 3 of our ministry: having a medical clinic on site that would provide quality care for the surrounding communities. This trip has prompted me to consider returning to school to get my Nurse Practitioner degree to better help and serve the community with our future clinic. Of course, if the Lord wills!
"You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream"~C.S. Lewis
Again, we won't change the healthcare system in Zambia but if we can provide accurate healthcare information, dismantle beliefs about witchcraft and false traditions, and possibly relieve one person's pain, then all glory and praise be to God!
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