Personal Stories
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Working in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Is More Than Saving a Baby’s Life
Godbless M. Philipo and Hannah Lee Thirty-two-week-old Maasai twins were brought to Selian Hospital in Arusha, Tanzania, with evidence of apparent twin–twin transfusion syndrome. They were delivered at home and then taken to a nearby dispensary health facility that frequently does not have a staff doctor present. They were then referred to us. One twin (twin 1) was doing well with minimal oxygen support. However, it became evident that twin 2 was struggling to breathe, with oxygen saturation levels in the 70s, and needed increased support. At Selian, patients must pay for services before they receive any laboratory work, imaging, or oxygen therapy. This was instituted because, historically, there have been difficulties with patients paying their bill, and it is a preventive measure for keeping the hospital afloat. However, because the majority of Selian patients do not have health insurance, things that may be seemingly easy fixes for symptoms, become difficult for patients of all sizes and ages to obtain. Read more... |
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