Options and Choices

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It is not news that the managerial skill is often better in the private sector, especially in developing countries. Again, we see that in the private sector, the population and the use of services are minimal plus not overstretched like the public sector. Having this in mind, we really cannot overlook the experiences and expertise of personnel in the public sector.

I remember when my sister had her baby, it was tough on all of us. I was at my place of business when my mother called me to say that there were some complications. Immediately, I knew that I had to be there, if not for anything, for moral support and to safeguard my sister's life.

The thing is, there are so many medical solutions to pregnancy complications that are greatly frowned upon in my part of the world. For starters, giving birth through Caesarean section (CS) is considered taboo, and up until this moment, women who undergo such procedures to bring forth life are greatly stigmatized.

Hearing that my sister was not dilating, I immediately told my mom that they should prepare her for CS because she'd been in labour for the past 12 hours. I knew words over the phone would not be enough, so I closed down my business and rushed to the hospital.

At the hospital, I saw my mother and my in-law greatly traumatized. Already, they were making moves to purchase the needed items for my sister, who has been authorized for theatre. All through the preparation, it was me telling my mom, who already felt downcasted over the situation, that CS is not a taboo. I reminded her of priorities, which means mother and child are safe and not people's opinions.

And just as we were about to round up on our purchase, my sister called us and informed us that she had already given birth. Our happiness knew no bounds and we immediately gifted the items we already got for my sister's CS to a couple who needed it. After the jubilation came the questioning.

How did it happen? I mean, you were already being prepared for theatre, you were not dilating so what exactly happened? We questioned and then in a weak voice, she said it's God. Just when she had surrendered her faith, the medical consultant walked in with his group and my sister was the first person he was shown. He read her file, touched her tummy and checked her cervix. Identified that my sister was burning up, did a little massage and then asked them to give her oxytocin and a single dose of malaria treatment at intervals. My sister said the whole process felt like a miracle.

After the whole delivery process, seven days came and my sister took her boy to the health centre for his circumcision. Everything went on fine, no complications, nothing.

Then it was time for her second baby. One major challenge my sister faced with her first while patronising the state-owned hospital was overpopulation in the maternity ward. Most of the time that my sister was in Labour, she was made to lie on a wrapper spread on the floor as there was no bed space.

The ward was mosquito-infested, with no running water and the hygiene was below average. Due to this experience, my sister vowed never to patronise their services again. She was introduced to a private maternity clinic and was told that the matron running it is retired from the state-owned hospital. The place was neat, and some things lacking in the state-owned hospital were abundant.

My sister was well taken care of and unlike her first, the second came out easily. We were wowed by their services and praised them greatly until my sister was to be discharged and they asked my mom to carry my sister's placenta. My mother was grossed out because in the Public hospital, the management trashed it, not the patients or their families. We kept our cool and did the trashing.

Another red flag was when the nurses didn't get rid of my nephew's tongue tie immediately after delivery like it had been done. Instead, they said that we should return in 7 days for the procedure.

How about circumcision? It was poorly done alongside the tongue tie, which caused my nephew a great deal of injury and if not for how my mommy and I handled the situation, we would have lost him. Thank God we didn't.

After our ordeal, we resolved to always turn to the public sector, especially on health-related matters, because we have so many quacks in the system. My sister later did some snooping and discovered that the so-called matron was a fraud who never worked at the state hospital. Both the matron and the nurses working with her were not certified.

Posted Using INLEO