Emmanuel clinic treats a burn patient
May 4 2014
Shortly after we got back from the
Kampala village visit, Suzan comes to our women's tukle and announces
a burn patient has come to the clinic and it is "Bad". "She
is in a lot of pain" Immediately our ears perked up and
compassion and interest peaked. Angie, also a nurse; me, a PA who
loves to treat burns, and caring Gretchen and Jean all headed to the
clinic to see what was going on. Mind you this is sunday and the
clinic is supposed to be closed on Sunday and Monday, hours being
Tues – Saturday. Judith, the full time nurse was still around and
Suzan of course available. The patient had been escorted from
Kikumba, the nearby by town on the main road 13 km from the farm and
Emmanuel clinic, as an afterthought when considering taking her over
2 hours away to a referral hospital in Gulu. Suzan and Judith were
more than happy to accept this patient and help her. They placed her
in the finished ward which is not an official inpatient ward yet, but
has a bed. The patient needed to lay down for a good assessment of
her left upper lateral thigh that was badly burned along the whole
side. There was thick black eschar, a foul smell, and immense pain
associated. Judith sedated the patient with valium and we proceeded
to clean off the what appeared to be silvadene ointment applied by
another clinic. Judith asked me if all of the black are needed to
come off and I said yes. I offered to do it but she deftly took the
blade and proceeded to debride the dead tissue as far as she could,
while the lovelies (Gretchen, Angie and Jean) held the woman and sang
to her, soothing her with "Kumbaya my Lord, Kumbaya" and
other songs. There still remained a thick center of black eschar
that could not be removed as it was becoming to painful and was still
very attached. IV antibiotics and fluids were given and pain
killers. She drifted off the sleep as we placed silvadene and gauze
and dressings. Thank god for all the kerlix and gauze pads donated
that I had stuffed in my tubs as i believe we will use every bit of
the bandages I brought on this patient. She will stay overnight as
needs to be monitored. More debridement will need to be done and she
has a long way to go before able to care for this on her own and the
transport to keep coming back is far and costly for these
impoverished people. Through the process of treating her we found
out she has epilepsy and HIV. She had a seizure and fell into a
large cooking pot of boiling hot water when she had a seizure. Her
family brought her medicine and Nurse Judith prepared herself to help
take care of her throughout the night. And this is Judith's day
off... this is the commitment this nurse has to the people and her
job at Emmanuel clinic!!
Even though, we are struggling with the
registration and learning the health center process after not so good
leadership and advice, this clinic is serving a great purpose and
need! Emmanuel clinic is seeing between 150 – 50 patients a month
which is felt to be quite low and off the budget, yet it has helped
this one life...this important and valuable life and deserving life.
I asked Suzan if the patient will pay and she said, "don't
mind...they will pay something as the family was prepared to take her
to gulu and Lachor and pay a lot more. We don't turn any one away
Nadine, you taught us that, we are here to serve even on our days
off" Wow..if that was not a wake up call to me...!! So who
was I sounding like? Just the same as the administration of the
hospital I work for....all about numbers and money, which is not
typically me at all as I struggle for a healthy and balance working
life in the medical field in America. I co founded this organization
on One Life, Kenny. We are Hope 2 One Life...and each and every life
has value and worth and deserves dignity, respect and care. I am
proud of Suzan and Judith, the faithful nurses of Emmanuel clinic!!
They stand their ground and principles and refuse to relagate a
patient or themselves to bowing to a number or a shilling. I am
truly humbled. With humility, I pray for a light and path
forward...God hear my prayer.
Suzan and Judith are asking for a
nursing assistant as this kind of special care needed happens often
enough. Suzan has even said she would reduce her salary in half if
the clinic could hire a nursing assistant.
More to come on this, as Terence,
Richard and I have a meeting in Gulu with our trusted and good
friend, Sr. Dr. Vincentina Achora, formerly medical director of the
Dr. Ambrosoli Hospital in Kalongo, who knows all about the community health unit system and the government medical system.
Humbled and encouraged in Uganda...
Nadine
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