Submitted by Niki Ganjeizadeh on the 2020 winter session study abroad program in Kenya and Tanzania sponsored by the School of Nursing…
Levelosi Clinic is primarily a labor and delivery ward, with a small postpartum, antepartum section. From the moment I stepped in, it was one of the most eye-opening experiences I had… and it was only day one. The floors were stained with blood and fluids from the last birth. Nurses attempted to mop it up, dipping the mop in brown water and running it across the floor. Flies landed on the beds and a pungent smell contaminated the air. The nurses were unsympathetic and the women were to labor alone, in silence.
I noticed a woman across the room whispering the Swahili word for push. “sukuma, sukuma, sukuma” she said. I tried to get the nurses’ attention because I could see the baby crowning. At first, she told me she would not come over until she finished her rounds. Once I insisted, the nurse came over and scolded the woman in Swahili. When I asked the nurse what she said to the woman, she said the woman was pretending to get “special treatment”. She said she told her that if she kept bending over her baby would be a stillborn and it would be her fault. Astonished by what I heard, I kept advocating for the patient and, eventually, she was moved to the delivery room. The baby was delivered, healthy, not more than two minutes later!
This is not a one time occurrence. Every woman in Arusha, Tanzania who does not have the money to go to a public hospital experiences similar treatment. I have never felt more saddened and privileged to have access to high-level health care. I encourage everyone reading to think about how a little goes a long way. What can you do? You do not need to travel across the world. For me, it was as simple as paying attention to my surroundings and being a patient advocate. An advocate of not only high-quality health care, but the compassion everyone deserves.