A Kenyan Emergency Room

Ever wonder what a hospital ER is like in Kenya? Well, it's in many ways like one in the US – lots of waiting. On Saturday evening I decided to go get checked out after a couple days of abdominal pain. I wasn't sure if it was just normal pregnancy pain (as the uterus and muscles expand) or if there was something wrong. Since it was consistent for two days, I thought I should go and make sure everything is ok. When I arrived, a nice employee told me where to go. First I had to grab a number and wait for the triage nurse to see me. Once she called my number, she took my vital signs and inquired why I was there. Then she told me to wait outside while my chart was made. Next I was called up to the cashier's counter. One HUGE difference between Kenya and the US is every service in Kenya is pre-paid for. And I mean EVERYTHING. If you are admitted as an in-patient, you have to buy everything the nurses or doctors will use – saline solution, needles, tape, medicine, etc.

I had to pay to consultation fee (about $8.00) before I could be seen. Once that was paid for, I waited to be called back by the doctor. It was a busy evening so the nurse told me the wait would be long. As a frequent visitor to emergency rooms in the US, I am used to waiting and expected no less/ About two hours later, it was my turn. The doctor was very nice and thorough. He suspected a muscle strain, but wanted me to do labs and an ultrasound to be sure. Next stop, the cashier's counter to pay for my labs (about $6.00). Then off to the lab to drop off my sample. Since I had to wait an hour for the results, I went to pay for the ultrasound. Here is where I hit my first snag. They don't have someone there 24 hours to do ultrasounds. I was shocked. I spoke to the nurse and she told me a doctor is on call for emergencies. Since I had been in pain for two days, I really wanted to do the ultrasound that evening to make sure the baby was ok and for peace of mind. She said she would call the doctor to see if he would come in. His response – No. I admit, I was annoyed. Who wants to be told your problem is not important enough to be checked tonight? There was nothing I could do so I just sat down and waited for the lab results. After an hour, George picked them up and we waited again to see the doctor. Not long after, we were called back. She said there was evidence of an infection somewhere so antibiotics were prescribed and I was told to come back on Sunday to do the ultrasound.

Overall time in the ER – 3 ½ hours. Close to an average US ER visit. The staff was nice and the place was very clean. My only complaint was not being able to get the ultrasound that night. This is one place we are considering for the delivery and it makes me uneasy knowing there isn't someone there to do ultrasounds around the clock. What if there is a complication? Oh well. That's where we place our trust in the Lord.