National Hospital or National MORGUE? ... Part 1

February 1, 2012

I requested and was granted discharge yesterday from the female medical ward of national hospital. When I was at the ward entrance preparing to leave a lady walked up to me and said she had lost her mother and was now leaving, and that the mother died because the nurses "did not bring oxygen on time!" I have no reason to doubt her because my own experience was the worst admission experience I have ever had (and as a sickle cell survivor over age 30, who has been hospitalized in several countries on four continents, that's saying a lot!) I decided since my blood transfusion was completed, other discomforts aside I had better leave while I can still walk unassisted!

Here's a little advice from me to anyone going on admission at the National Hospital, Abuja, Nigeria:

National Hospital Admission Requirements by Lady I.:
Kindly take the following or be ready to do without:
1. Bed - (I was kept in a chair at the entrance the emergency area receiving I.V. Fluids (drips) for 6 hours waiting for a bed space, meanwhile a member of staff on admission had a 2-bed room all to herself).
2. Pillows - as many as required
3. Blankets (take two or three, some to place upon the lumpy, torn, poor-excuse for a mattress and on to cover yourself)
4. Fan - the A.C. may not be working.
5. Hand fans - the sockets in which to plug an electric fan may not be working
6. A. C. Remote - there is only one for the entire floor, so you will have to go to the nurses station to borrow it every time u need to regulate to A.C.
7. Bucket - none in the bathroom, upon request the nurse said patients bring their own!
8. Toilet paper - Hello? ... no explanation necessary
9. Kettle - if you need a hot bath, the one available is 'for staff' but a nurse can gladly sell you one for N2,500
10. Mop - you will need it - (the faulty plumbing resulted in water seeping into my room from the bathroom.)
11. Scarves or old clothing - to plug the massive holes in the ancient mosquito net (I had to use my t-shirt!!!)
12. Mosquito repellent and lots of it - nevertheless whatever your ailment be prepared to treat for malaria after admission
13. Magnifying glass - to carefully examine the tablets the nurses administer to you before you swallow them!
14. Ear plugs - the nurses spend hours gisting in unpleasantly loud voices so u will need these if you hope to sleep (I had to use my blackberry earphones)
15. Gloves - Alas, the Dr. cannot examine you without them, though you may purchase a pack of 6 from a willing nurse. (my roommate was approached and declined purchase!)
16 - TV: optional. (a TV stand was present in my room with no TV on it, and the ceiling above the stand had been blackened by smoke from a previous fire, i dared not ask! hmm..)
17. Wheelchair - to take you for x-rays, scans or other procedures (I rode in a creaky, dilapidated one that Mungo Park may have left while exploring the Niger - it had a rope tied across the front instead of foot pedals, and the handle fell off while the attendant was pushing me, no joke!)
18. Lots of cash in small bills - to bribe the sole attendant available to carry out any procedures relating to ur care in a timely manner (Since i did not bribe anyone, it took 3 days to get registered for a scan already paid for on the night of admission!)
19. Bottled water - you will most certainly be given several tablets with not a drop of water to swallow them!
20. Food - suggested (I was not given any meal forms on admission, no one inquired about my meals for the first two days! No matter cos I had no intention of eating the food anyway, however my roommate's exploits with the hospital kitchen staff tell me I wasn't missing anything!)
21. A phone with long-lasting battery and inexhaustible credit and doctors on speed-dial: you will have to personally call the doctors severally to make any progress with your treatment so ensure to get names and numbers of every doctor you meet.
22. Calculator - to keep monetary accounts (an attendant was sent by a nurse to tell me my deposit was exhausted and I should pay for drugs while it turns out I have an outstanding balance yet to be refunded as of today!)
23. At least 1 Able-Bodied relative/friend: this person must be ready to stay with you night and day to serve as a human call-bell for the nurses because the bells do not work and the nurses do not check u on their own; the person must be aggressive and ready to battle the nurses for your medication which is otherwise always late. (My mother, God bless her, had to personally go with a friendly doctor to get the blood for my transfusion because the nurses kept us waiting for hours claiming there was no one to go and get it!)
24. A thorough knowledge of your condition and treatment options or a Doctor friend/relative who has one and can monitor your treatment or else the more you see the less you will understand!!!!!
25. A praying tongue - if you can't pray, recruit people to pray for you, but believe me, you will know how to pray after the first night! As my mother will pray "may God not let any of us see sickness" Amen!!!

Disclaimer: - You have been advised. Failure to bring any of the above may result in any or all of the following ailments in addition to whatever you already suffer:
A - Neck and body pains from poor sleep positions
B - Red and sore eyes from little or no sleep
C - Sore throat from arguing with nurses over late and/or wrong medications
D - Diarrhoea from strange foods
E - Insomnia from creaking doors, leaking taps, mosquitoes singing and biting and loud chatter of nurses voices
F - Skin irritations, itching and/or body odours from no bathing
G - Malaria, undoubtedly!
H - Any and all other effects of negligence including worsening of your condition, new ailments altogether, and/or untimely death.
Selah!

So, what exactly happened to elicit the above advise from me?
Watch out for the story in detail:
National Hospital or National Morgue … Part 2:
Coming Soon to InspiroLogos World:

Lady InspiroLogos - Alive and Writing, Despite!!!