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Aug. 15, 2000 Dear Friends, We are about half way through Linda's six weeks of orientation time at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital. The kids and I have now joined her in Accra, at least for a little while. I had to come south to take care of some things on the truck, so we decided to bring the kids' school as well and stay for a bit. She has really appreciated your encouraging emails, but has also had the opportunities to talk to a lot of people about God and why she is here. She, therefore, no longer feels as if the time is as fruitless as it initially seemed. It is still stressful for her to see some of the standard hospital practices, often detrimental to the patients. She writes: Nurses here administer medicines and treatments, but the rest of their role in the hospital is more that of a hostess trying to create a calm and "tidy" environment than that of a practitioner assessing patients and responding appropriately to changes in their condition. This subtle role difference causes dramatic differences in priorities, especially in emergencies. The attitude towards death here is sad - the nurses "distance" themselves from patients who are not doing well, often increasing the chances that the patient will die. Today the mother and sister of a little girl were scolded harshly for "making a scene" when she died unexpectedly. Loud display of emotions is common here, and funerals are celebrated at huge expense, but this family was "disturbing the ward." I try to be flexible, friendly and helpful, but still safe. Some days are easy; some days I come home very tired. In His Service, |
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