Memoir of an intern doctor……16 days to go

16 days to go. Never imagined I’d say this, but internship is coming to an end. I can almost count the days with my fingers.

Meanwhile, I’m doing my paediatrics rotation currently. Yea, it’s my minor, so I get to do it for just a month.

I have always been passionate about child health, and there is a way children always bring a smile to your face. The kids here will cry and call you Daktar (doctor) it’s very humbling.

My saddest moments on the rotation yet have been times when children with severe anaemia die afew minutes after admission because there is no ready access to blood, and maybe their caretakers can’t donate because of different reasons. Age being a big factor sometimes because these kids are brought to hospital by their grandparents.

Honestly speaking, I don’t know how the children in this community and neighbouring communities would survive if this hospital didn’t exist. There health Care is almost free. Costs subsided to almost the cost of a kilo of rice. But people still come to hospital late. It’s heart breaking . If anyone ever doubted if malaria kills, come to this community, you will know what I mean..

Sickle cell anaemia is like the order of the day. It’s the question that almost comes out for every child before history is taken. I have heard sad stories of husband abandoning their wives when a child or 2 of theirs screened positive for sickle cell anaemia. A very big gap that should be covered in this community.

On the other hand, I smell adulthood slapping me in the face already. I probably have been in denial this whole time, but we’ll, it has to happen.