thanks to MGMH

Over the last several weeks my team and I have been working on a  “community profile.” It consists of around 150 interviews to local Indian mothers (or soon to be mothers) that ask them about their experiences in pregnancy, birth, nutrition, and more. We did this in order to conduct research and draw conclusions about beliefs and customs practiced as a community in India, as it relates to pregnancy. If we want to see things change in a country, it’s important to know what the people believe and how that can affect their lifestyles. I learned a lot from the interviews and I would be happy to share with anyone interested, but one thing that really stood out to me is described below:

A couple weeks ago a few members from my team and I went to a private hospital here in the city to ask for a tour. When we stepped into the hospital I had that, “we’re not in Kansas anymore” feeling wash over me. Wow. What a stark difference from the hospital I work at. It was clean, welcoming, friendly, organized- not really different from a hospital I would be used to seeing at home. We approached the front desk (“whoa, they have front desk??” I thought as I walked towards it) and explained who we were and asked if it would be possible to see how things are run at their hospital. They politely requested we took a seat and not long after waiting the head gynecologist welcomed us into her office. She was a very wise woman and we had a few minutes of “talking shop” with her and then she personally showed the group of us into every area of the hospital. This hospital is amazing. It has state-the-art equipment, its sterile and clean and the way they practice is totally up to par to American standards. I’d have a baby there.

 As we were walking in and out of the private labor room we were making many comments about how nice it is to see how well run the place is. The doctor, of course, knew we were working at the local government hospital and pretty much everyone in the city knows what government hospitals are like.  As we found ourselves making comparisons from our hospital to hers she kindly interrupted us to remind us how vital the government hospital is.

“Thousands of woman would die if the government hospital wasn’t there. They are saving lives,” she said.

I have been thinking about that comment every since she said it. I am glad she was able to be a voice for her country and open our eyes to see how crucial the hospital we work at really is. You’ve read the stories, you’ve heard about how dirty and unruly the place can be. You’ve heard about how the woman have been uncared for and disrespected and yes, all of this is often true-but I just have to say that I am grateful for this hospital. One of the main thing my school prides itself in is being a defender of life. We believe that every person has the right to given health care and while the conditions may be less than adequate at our hospital, it is a place that is treating pregnant woman. It is a free hospital, where poor women who cannot afford the luxuries of a private hospital are able to go. And if all the hospitals here in India were as amazing as the private one we toured, then there would be nowhere for the thousands of poor mommas they see on a daily basis to go. They are providing it. And by doing so, they are saving lives. So why you have heard me tell horror stories of things that have happened at the government hospital, may you also hear that I believe this hospital is a gift to the community. The place is mostly run by Post Graduate doctors. They sometimes get one day off a week and the hours they work are unheard of. The patient to doctor ratio is unmanageable but somehow they (usually) seem to make it work. These doctors are worn out, burnt out, unappreciated, underpaid, and overwhelmed. And none of them want to work at a government hospital, they just have to. We have all been in positions or at jobs that we just didn’t want to do. So imagine, just for a moment, what it must be like to work at such an intense place, where you really don’t want to be but you have no choice if you want to continue on in your career. It’s like prison for some of them. So when they act out and lash out or just respond purely apathetically it isn’t justified at all, but it’s sort of understandable, right? It’s not okay but, I know that I have been guilty of having a bad attitude in places I didn’t want to be too. And I am not justifying their behavior or practices at all. I think it is a necessity that changes are made, but in the midst of a lot of negativity I shared I just want to give the hospital some respect that I believe it deserves. I want to acknowledge that the workers are few and they are operating in the only way they know how to.

Many times I think to myself that there are no excuses for the way they treat the patients though. And there isn’t an excuse, but there is an explanation. It’s the way they have learned. It is not unheard of to act the way you’re taught to act, in fact, it makes complete sense. It’s not one person’s fault that women get ignored or rounds get forgotten about. There is not a single person to point the blame at. I have realized that the issues at the hospital go far beyond the yelling doctors. The issues have to do with the city, the government and its officials and the way things are done. It has to do with whose voting and whose funding and in a country where a lot of corruption takes place and a lot of resources are lacking, the outcomes look like women being left alone at a hospital while they are giving birth. But that’s just one example. That’s from my perspective. There are thousands of children who will go to bed hungry tonight, there are elderly people of the community who have no place to sleep, there are families that make a “living” by picking through the dumpster. Who is to blame for all of this?  I guess my point here is I have shared just a glimpse of a much bigger problem that exists and it goes far beyond the hospital I work in. Through our research I have learned that there is a problem that’s affecting an entire country and people group and as a result there is a maternity hospital that is dirty and lacking supplies and in desperate need of more healthcare workers.

These problems may be beyond my reach but they are not beyond the reach of the God I serve. As one person I may not be able to see change in the next couple weeks in this country, but I believe as people we are responsible for being aware of these types of problems- contributing when we have the chance and never ceasing to believe in the power of prayer. At the hospital, I have learned that it is not just the pregnant women that I get to encourage and help fight the battle; it’s the workers at the hospital as well. Encouraging them, talking to them, smiling at them, taking interest in who they are, not just what they are doing.  So while I may not see India change overnight, I can still love an Indian woman. I can take the time in the midst of a really busy day to stop and look at a doctor in her face and ask her how she’s doing. I can console her when she tells me she’s overwhelmed. After all, it is not my job to judge those outside of the church or the body of Christ. I don’t need to change the world or to change India, I simply need to love those who are living in it and let the power of the love of Jesus Christ do the rest. And I can show people Jesus, and I can be confident that His love is all the whole world needs. And if I can just share it with one person, who can share with one more person then that is what will change India.

So thank you, to those who dedicate their lives to saving life. Thank you to the workers at the Government Maternity Hospital.