Have you ever had that experience, when you are just dumbfounded, lost of words? This was the situation I found myself at this horid scene.
But before I narrate my experience I would like to say that Firstly, I don’t subscribe to the idea that young ladies should be nurses in hospitals. Even if they are allowed, they should have anauthoritative figures around them.
Secondly I would love to say that nurses
should be made to study human sociology as a core
course before they are allowed to
practice anywhere. Because, if the
Nurse that spoke to me studied human sociology she would have addressed me in a more civilized way as a human person.
It all started on Sunday when I felt feverish and had to call home. I was adviced to go to the nearest hospital for diagnosis to know what was wrong.
before now, I did not know any hospital in Anambra state, and it was my cousin who told me of a hhospital that he described when asked as a storey building hospital.
after getting the required funds for the medical test, my cousin and I decided to leave by 5pm hoping the doctor will be around by then. As we alighted from the motorcycle that conveyed us to the place that was so inside Akwuzu that I wasn’t sure a hospital could be at that part of the world, the first thing I noticed was that this hospital was using a wooden gate. I wondered if in this time and era,people still use wooden gate? But as I left the hospital I thought to myself that the gate was the only beta thing (as we say in broken English) the hospital had..
As my cousin and I were entering the hospital I remember telling him that this was the first time I was entering a hospital in the east, we smiled about it and we walked in to what was supposed to be a hospital and our countenance changed.
The first thing we heard was the screams of a woman shouting at the top of her weak voice “Nurse!! Nurse!! “. Immediately I thought maybe the reception was far from
where I was so I followed the weak woman’s voice in a bid to help the situation and started shouting at the top of my rather loud voice also. To my dissatisfaction I got no reply.
We moved further a little bit and to my greatest surprise. I discovered that the reception room was so close to the weak
shouting woman’s room.
most annoyingly was the discovery that the so called nurses where sitting without a care of the world and were lously chatting away.
Then my cousin seemly angry with these two hospital workers behavior shouted in Igbo “ona obughi gi ka ana akpo” (Is it not you they are calling). That was the moment I heard why the woman in the first room was calling on the Nurse the drip that was meant to give her strength was taking back her blood. Then my cousin decided to “carry matter for head’ and started scolding the older nurse, telling her to go and attend to the patient. That was when this enormous looking madam got up as if she owned the whole place, put her hand that am sure was not clean into a cup and brought out this finger size cotton wool. As the woman passed me I could see the anger
on her face. I asked myself “did they force this one to work here or is she workingfor free”.? At this moment I entered the waiting/theater/ICU/Recovery room/and Reception room.. I have never till that very point of my life seen a more troubling place like this multi functional room.
There and then for the first time in my life I saw blood that was not mine. It is pivotal to describe this blood. One part was red, another black and the top part was horse blood ( I dont know how blood looks like but am sure that’s not the real color). Now this blood was hanging from one of the sides of the bed, and beside it was a little boy who would not be above 7 and he looked very sick. Beside him was his mum whom he placed his head on her bosom. They were to be laying on a bed which was obviously loosing one or two irons from the base of the bed causing one side up and the other down. As we walked up to the younger nurse, her countenance changed. It was as if we were disturbing her. Then my cousin asked her “please
where is the doctor? “, it was her rely that left me in the state of utter shock and surprise . She said ” I don’t know”
I was dumbfounded, lost of words. ironically, The words were there but they were not there. The
only thing I could mumble was “IS THIS HOW YOU GUYS BEHAVE HERE?” I could not fathom any other thing to say. I know at this point you will be thinking .. how is it bad that a nurse does not
know the whereabouts of the doctor? but if you were there your reaction could be worse than mine. As she replied, u have to
see all the wrongs sides of the world on her face. Rude was not what she was, I will be needing like two or three adjectives to
describe this lady’s disrespectful nature.
After the conversation, I could not stay in the hospital before I die of a minor malaria.That hospital looks like one where you will go to visit a sick person and on getting there, they admit instead you. As I walked out my cousin stayed back and spoke to the lady about life.
On my way,I had to call home and narrated the story and mum agreed on my not going on with the test there. And that was how I escaped these helpers of death. At this point I will like to say that these species of nurses cause the death of some of the patient but don’t take responsibility for it. one of the women we met in the multi functional room,asserted. thus.. “Am sure that these nurses cause the death of some of the patient”.
So there it is, these helper of death lead poor sick souls to their unexpected end. They necessarily need not give you the wrong
drugs for you to meet your maker, even the way they answer the sick people may lead
them to believing that there is no longer hope. They are not only helpers of physical death but are also emotional and health assassins.
we really need a change in mentality so that Nigeria will be a better place. So what can we do in the face of all these maddnes?
We can love each other,
perform acts of kindness. Truly, when these nurses love their patients and show a little more compassion than usual, they will not only put smiles and give hope to the sick. but will be angels in white robes administering healing.
Atusiuba Chukwutoby….
there exist all around the globe. evil mistresses, and masters too. acclaimed helpers of sick, the dying and the poor. who operates just in the opposite . we must be on the look out.
Good one.
Keep it up
Atusiuba