Being a health volunteer in rural Paraguay has been such an experience thus far and up until last week I had thankfully not experienced a Paraguayan hospital. Well when my friend went into labor last week I went along with her to the hospital. There are many factors in this story that would blow your mind in the health care world...but I would be writing a book so I will do my best sum up.
We take a taxi to the hospital, barely anyone has cars. We get the the hospital which is also accompanied by a few straw cats, shocking. There is no check in, no beep in, no locked doors, no separate rooms, just open rooms of beds with people and a tiny hallway for labor and delivery. "OK I think to myself, I'm not in America thats for sure." My friend goes back and her mom and I wait, and wait and wait some more. She is told she is not ready and to walk around to induce labor ( mind you this is what I gather, keep in mind that they are speaking a mix of Guarani and Spanish and there is a huge language barrier) So we wait some more...
Then we are informed there is no doctor and no bed for her and we have to transfer hospitals... in an ambulance. So we go... its a nice ambulance...miniature as most things are here. But the new hospital was far from miniature...it was MASSIVE, like biggest building I've ever seen in Paraguay. At this point she is ready, it is 10pm and we are in for the long haul. We hop on an elevator, only the second one I've been on in Paraguay....get to the a labor delivery center...my friend goes back and we wait. The nurse brings out a list of medicine she needs and we go to the closest pharmacy to buy it, then we return and wait some more.
Between the first 5 hours of waiting I am thinking...hmm poor girl she is in labor for so long....I wonder when we will get to go back there for the delivery...because after all...when I go into labor you better believe I will have some family member, husband, sister or mom holding my hands...she must want that too, so I ask. I am informed that no one is aloud in the room until 4.5 hours after the birth, but why? "THATS CRAZY" I think, am I translating this right in my head? Yes I was. So around 3am a nurse informs us of the birth of a baby boy, 3 kilos...but nothing else, no time...no nothing.
So I try and sleep, along with everyone else camping out, but I can't. It is cold, smelly, dirty and I start to internal freak out. 1. for my friend who just delivered her first baby and cannot have her husband or mother by her side. 2. because I am in a foreign hospital un able to fully understand what all is happening and feel completely alone.
That all passes, since no one else seems to be freaking out I calm down...leave in search of some type of food that might make me feel better. Naturally I find chipa and empanadas, because really what other food can you find at 6am ( which is the time by now...still have not seen baby). We eat, talk...I practice my Guarani....walk up and down the 7 flights of steps to keep my body warm and finally at 10am I am welcomed back to meet the baby, but only for 15 minutes. He is wonderful, my friend is wonderful and there are lots of smiles!
Overall it was a wild 20 hours or so in hospitals, I was shocked. But then humbled. These people work with what they have and yes to us their health care system and structures seem outdated and ineffective but its what they have and they make it work. I will say that I was thankful to be apart of such an experience but wish never to find myself in a hospital in Paraguay. I am enjoying being back at my house and holding little Eder Enrique when ever I please!
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| my first glimpse! |
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| Fun fact- I gave him that outfit! Now we call him Monkey'e |
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| Waiting all day for him to come! |
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| Im an Aunt!!! |
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