Please Pray

A hospital only functions if there is a team of people serving the patients.  A doctor might be able to diagnose a patient, but if there is no one to give medicines, start an IV, keep the hospital clean, pick up meds, do an xray, do labs, keep the hospital clean, make decisions for the hospital then the hospital doesn’t function.  Every member is needed, each filling a role and each important.  Pray for all our team members.

We have been facing a shortage of nurses and community health workers (similar to nurse’s aides) since November and as a result, our service to the people of PNG has been limited.  We are not able to see longwe pts (those outside our catchment area) and care for them because we simply do not have enough nurses/CHWs to handle the extra patient load that longwe pts bring.   As a result, we have limited our services and have been caring for the pts in our area only and turning away those who are from farther away.   Pray for those who are from far away, that they will find the care they need.

 

 This week, we had to make another change, we had to close a ward.  As of Monday, our pediatric (on L) and medical wards (top L) were combined into one, reducing the amount of nurses/CHWs needed to cover.  In doing so, we hope to alleviate some of the burden that they have carried in caring for our pts while short staffed, so more don't leave.  We also hope it will allow us to continue to function until more nurses come.  Pray for more nurses so we can serve all who need our help. 

In closing a ward, we limit how many patients we are able to care for, which for now is 15 medical pts and 17 pediatric pts, along with our regular number of surgery and OB pts.  But it is the patients who are really suffering.  Last night, I was on call and sent out a little kid who had a fever and cough, and likely had pneumonia, because we didn't have a bed.  Dad wasn't happy to go, but went, only to turn back and come back within 5 minutes saying he can't take his child home, he is too sick.  I understand, and it isn't just his kid, but many other kids and adults out there who had come to rely on the services of our hospital who now are forced to find alternative options for care.  Pray for the patients, those we are able to care for and those we aren't.

Our administrative team is working to bring in more nurses and CHWs, but we aren't there yet.  Many of our college of nursing students who graduate in a few weeks will be joining us, but it is still weeks away.   Pray for wisdom for our leadership and for more PNGians to want to serve Christ here at Kudjip.