Clinic Stay – Swakopmund – Day 1-2 in Hospital
Cottage Medical Clinic is an ultra modern facility. It appears as if the place is brand new, from my bed to the x-ray facilities and everything in-between. Unfortunately, I can’t say the same for the staff. Maybe it’s new because this is where Angelina Jolie birthed her children. Would you rather have a state of the art facility with terribly trained staff or a crappy medical facility with great people? I vote for the latter.
Throughout the night I go from drug induced sleeping to extreme discomfort. There is no shortage of nurses here. At least a dozen of them came in through the night, some to see the new patient and others when I buzzed to get more medication. Unfortunately they don’t have any oral pain medication stronger than Tylenol. Thus everything is administered via injection. I had packed syringes and needles in my med kit in case I needed them. They however are still on the truck and as it quickly turns out the couple I had wouldn’t be enough for what I eventually go through. A nurse would walk in from the hall with a syringe already filled. Concerned about the risk of it being a reused needle as is common in Africa, I’d request they bring a fresh syringe open and fill it in front of me. My request produced dirty looks and quip responses of, “what, don’t you trust me”. Quite frankly I didn’t, and while I was dopey from meds, I knew I had to sweet talk them into opening one in front of me. A few times I had to get downright nasty yelling and demanding they open one as they defiantly attempted to stick me with one as I screamed for them not too. The concern of catching something from a used needle had begun and building fear loomed for the rest of the week. Their sheer lack of repeated unwillingness to put my mind at ease creating a struggle convinces me they were bringing in used needles. Not one time in the approximate 40-50 or more injections I received throughout the week did I not have to endure this fight. In spite of my resistance a couple got through either because I was out or they still stuck me against my demands. (in a few more months six months from when they were used, I’ll be tested) While the risk of being infected with HIV is low, it’s a potential concern and I’ve pushed it out of my head as there is nothing I can do.
Other concerns for me while at Cottage included the lack of sterile hygiene and protection of the nursing staff themselves. The staff never used gloves to protect themselves. One of the nurses accidently ripped out my IV while giving me a morphine injection. When she tried to start a new IV she stuck me a dozen or more times unsuccessfully leaving a bloody mess on my arm and simply cleaned it up bared handed. I assume such practices are a combination of lack of education, cost, and availability of supplies. For me however cost wasn’t a factor, I’d pay anything at this stage to not have to worry. If they where this unhygienic with me, I’m sure they were with everyone else and could easily be the spreader of disease.
Morning comes and I’ve been through my first night of fear, I’m anxious to see Michelle as I know she’s bringing my bags. I’m still not sure all what’s wrong and am expecting the doctor soon as well. Michelle shows up alone to my delight while simultaneously I felt let down as I had secretly hoped everyone would show to lend me some cheer. I’m sad I never got to say goodbye to my new friends whom I’ve spent the past months getting to know. Michelle’s words still ring true as she entered the room, “Here’s your life” as she set my bag on the floor. Possessions mean nothing, but it’s all that I had which turns out to be my lifeline to the world. We chat for a bit and she kisses me goodbye and now I’m on my own to survive.
Cottage doesn’t have a phone available with which to make international or collect calls. Can you frigin believe it?? I need to contact my travel insurance/medical assistance carrier to make sure this is covered and get them in the loop to assist and my only way to make a call from the hospital is to leave and get a phone card from a local vendor. Fat chance getting anyone at the clinic to help, they’re useless. Thank goodness I have my mobile phone. My AT&T mobile works great at $2.99/min.
My first call to medical notification/assistance seems great. They take my info and seem like they’re there to help. Shortly thereafter the doctor shows up reviews everything informing me I need to be transferred to a hospital. While his bedside manner was great, he’s not knowledgeable enough to treat me and is concerned I might have some lung damage. (note this entire time, I’m confined in a bed, medicated on morphine every hour, have an IV and catheter in, and I’m on oxygen) Having read my policy I know medical transport is to be arranged by my insurer. Using my cell I call them again and this time to a much different response. First they need to verify with the doctor before they can make any transport. A few hours later, sure enough they’ve confirmed with the doc I need to be transferred and then ask me why can’t I stay where I’m at? Why can’t I just get a more competent doctor here? Isn’t there another hospital closer than five hours away which can treat you? Hello!!! I’m in Africa, you moron! How am I to know? Isn’t that what worldwide medical assistance is for? Why don’t you tell me? I’m here stuck in a hospital bed and you’re asking me where I should go. I thought that was your job. So, how am I to get to where I can receive treatment, will you arrange it for me? “Ahhh”, came the response, “you’ll have to do that.” What? Will you arrange payment or anything? “Well, you’ll have to make arrangements for that get the receipts and submit them to get reimbursed” “Oh and once you’re at your new facility give us a call so we can track your progress” %&%*^*(&(&(!!!!!!! What a waste of my time, fing insurance!!!!
The doc comes back later concerned about my blood pressure it’s 170/120. I tell him I’m on High Blood pressure medication. Would he assist in finding it in my bag? I’m not sure where it is, as I hadn’t packed my bags. He’ll have a nurse be in shortly. We discuss the only option he’s aware of for transport and to my delight it’s International SOS, the guys who brought me out of the desert. However, I’ll have to spend another night here as they won’t transport me in the dark due to risk in the desert. Fortunately he arranges for them to get me early the next morning.
Ah maybe a little piece, I’m exhausted from doc visits, phone calls to insurance and my best friends, combined with hourly fights of getting clean needles. My blood pressures out of site a nurse comes in supposedly to assist. Ha, these ladies are useless. I counted a dozen different nurses through the evening and night each of which I requested there assistance to find my blood pressure meds. One at least opened my bag and one rummaged through the top layer, all leaving me by saying they’d have someone else come by to assist. Lazy B_t_hes! I come in and out of sleep scared of falling too deep into sleep knowing I have to stay aware to fight for my life. I’m anxious as can be and can’t wait for the transport to show as I worry about my blood pressure, nurse hygiene, and the next needle fight.
International SOS to the rescue. I’ve never been so happy to see an EMT. They arrive to me lying naked in bed still covered in sand. What, they haven’t washed you! With a look of disgust. Where are you cloths? OMG your BP is out of site. They instantly riffle through my bag finding my meds in split seconds and then want to know how I’ll be paying for the ride. Can you believe it, same issue as before my credit cards are denided once again just has they had been the day before. So back on the phone jumping through hoops to clear the charges before they prep me for a five hour desert journey to what I’m desperately hoping is better care.
