Sunday, November 23, 2008

Careful what you wish for...

According to the neighbors, we have had intermittent power and water for almost a year in Maseno. One of my assignments at the hospital is to "help improve nursing standards." The nurses and I have met several times. In an effort to better understand their roles before presuming to help them "improve" anything, I invited the charge nurses to share their own concerns and suggestions. "Better staffing" was answer number one, a response we'd hear from nurses at any hospital, at any place in the world. After that, the answers became more particular to Maseno:

Jik/bleach, gloves, rubber aprons and boots for infection control. (Back-ordered Jik. Can't afford the other items.)

Electricity. (It was out for 72 consecutive hours last week.)

Water. (None on the wards since July, it began flowing from the spigots again today. Yes, Mama, this, too shall pass.)

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