If any of you visit India just make sure you stay healthy and if you do fall ill avoid state hospitals in small towns at all costs!
My recent experiences in Koraput hospital will make you squirm and bed 54 in the women’s ward will remain forever etched on my memory. If I had been well enough to resist I would never have gone to hospital, a place reminiscent of a workhouse hospital in Victorian Britain – only with modern drugs.
The nurses don’t do nursing care, they put in IV lines (badly) and give injections. There are no clean sheets, no bowls (for being sick or anything else) and no one cleaning anything up. Any nursing care is provided by patient’s families who sleep on the floor at night. If you don’t have a family (like me) no one looks after you. Anyone who has ever criticised the NHS should spend a few hours in here! What an experience!
First of I was placed on a concrete shelf (constantly being sick) to be looked at by the doctor who for obvious reasons didn’t seem to want to come too close, there were no trolleys or wheel chairs to take me to the ward, you have to be carried or walk.
Once admitted the nurses struggled to put in an IV drip. They dealt with my dehydrated state by sticking enormous needles painfully into my both arms and slapping me about to try and find a vein! I was too ill to protest that I have my own sterile needles and IV lines provided by VSO. They are pretty pointless anyway why would anyone carry them around with them on the off chance that they might end up in hospital. Talk about an uphill struggle for the poor doctors who were (mostly) very caring. The hospital seemed to have very little equipment or diagnostic tools although I did notice as I left that there was an x ray room and an operating theatre.
My Indian colleagues were great – putting cardboard into the broken windows to stop the rain coming in, finding screens (1930s style) to put round my bed while I changed my clothes and just caring. Waking up in the middle of the night, lying in my own body fluids, I found Ali (my VSO colleague) sleeping in the chair next to my bed. He stayed all night until the office boy arrived at 7am and took over the day shift. I don’t know what I would have done without them. Going to the bathroom was a big mistake! This must have been one of the worst latrines I have seen. But worse was to come – when I staggered back to my bed I noticed a large rat running around the ward. Then realised there were several running around the people who were sleeping on the floor = ugh.
Most (but not all) my fellow inmates were tribal women and the level of bacteria in the place must have outweighed any benefits. I was the main diversion of the day for anyone well enough to appreciate me – groups of people gathered at the door to see the sick white woman and stood by my bed just staring at me – no smiles or nods. Although there was one lovely tribal lady, who came over to me, put her arms around me and rocked me , she came back several times to check on me and offer me water but she was the only one who showed me anything other than (intrusive)curiosity.
At midday food was brought round in a cardboard box – a loaf of bread still in its wrapper, a hard boiled egg and a cup of hot milk for each patient. Thank goodness I couldn’t eat. Ali was going to bring the video camera in and make a short film for his blog but he decided maybe I wouldn’t want to be seen in that state – that would have been some film!
I survived the hospital and returned home to my very damp house. Still feeling tired and a bit sorry for myself but no doubt I will perk up when the rain stops and I get my appetite back!
6 Responses to “My Indian Hospital Experience”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
July 27th, 2009 at 7:32 pm
Hi Carol
I cannot believe the conditions in the hospital!! I have been watching ‘Casualty 1900′, conditions were far better there than in India and that is based on The London Hospital at the turn of last century. Has any one else been watching it? Please take care. We are all really worried about you. I hope the medication has kicked in and you are on the road to recovery. The problem is if the house is so damp it is difficult to get well.
We are all thinking about you and looking forward to seeing you in September.
Love Sue x
July 30th, 2009 at 4:16 pm
An operating theatre! Can you imagine having an operation in that place?!
August 1st, 2009 at 4:01 pm
Hi Carol
Sounds like a fascinating trip. I cam across you blog whilst seeking links on the name Ettershank which I assue is your surname? I found this especially interesting as my Grandfather was James Maxwell Ettershank (1871-1919) who joined the Royal Horse Artillary in 1892 and served 21 years mostly in India certainly in Rawlpindi but not sure where else althoguh I am trying to find out. I guess he had problems with injuries etc and treatment would have been pretty basic even in the Army in India.
I hope you continue to enjoy your adventure and I look forward to reading more.
Regards
Chris
August 2nd, 2009 at 9:20 am
Where are you all? Carol needs you!! Beryl… we haven’t heard from you for a while. Eve says Carol has gone to Delhi to a ‘proper’ hospital to be checked out but I am not sure when or how. I am sure when she is feeling better she will fill us in.
Sue x
August 3rd, 2009 at 7:40 pm
Wow Carol you are SO brave. I am amazed, appalled, facinated and horrified in equal measures to read about your experience in hospital. I understand you’re now in Delhi, I really hope things are better there?
So the whole “what is the meaning of the name Ettershank” conversation has brought in another Ettershank looking for answers! I’ve checked the tree and James Maxwell Ettershank (1871-1919) isn’t in ours. Unless Carol’s Grandfather George Henry (1873-1909) had a brother?
Only 5 weeks now til the wedding of the year (what do you mean year, surely it’s the wedding of the decade)?!? I’m really looking forward to catching up with everyone. And I hear the mother of groom will be a size zero thanks to “the Indian Hospital diet” – apparently all the celebs are trying it. Angelina Jolie is on her way to India as I type and hoping to take home a new kid or two while she’s there!
I have to confess I hadn’t read your blog in a while Carol and I found the information about the work you are doing out there really interesting. I must get my friend Vicki who is head of Geography at a secondary school to read it, she could use it as a case study.
Anyway, sending you lots of love and positive thoughts across the miles and hope you’re feeling better soon.
Claire x
August 11th, 2009 at 6:55 pm
Hello Carol and Hello fellow bloggers. I knew something was amiss. I have been in Nice for the past three weeks and kept away from my hotmail which is how I access this blogg and is also usually full of worky things.
This has been a journey and a half Carol. You must have felt completely vulnerable- unwell and in those conditions and the family must have been really worried not to hear from you.
We had a wonderful holiday, which included seeing James Taylor at the Nice Jazz Festival (don’t ask). Carol, you know Nice well, lots of trips out and dreamy nights eating pasta in the Cours Saleya or doing the evening stroll along the Promenade Anglais with the whole of Nice.
Nice hearing from you all again.