9 August 2009
Burundi 2009: Bernice
Posted by Burundi Team under: Burundi 2009.
Bernice was the last patient to whom our doctors tended at the Bubanza clinic. She was literally among the last ten patients we treated. At the time we had already finished our registration and sent everyone home when one of the students helping us informed us that an emergency case was outside. Our worker at the door took one look at her and realized that the child looked as if she were dying.
Although we didn’t realize it at the time; her aunt actually brought her to come and see us. She had started vomiting on Wednesday and had been unable to keep anything down. From there her condition got progressively worse. She had been admitted at the government hospital in Bubanza and a port had been placed in her arm so that she could receive fluids. However the hospital discharged her knowing they could do nothing for her and asked that her parents take her to a better hospital in Bujumbura. One of the locals whom had heard about our clinic told her family that we were nearby and that they should give us a try first.
- Both doctors started attending to her immediately.
When she first came in she was in such bad condition that both our of doctors immediately stopped what they were doing in order to treat her. She was so dehydrated that they thought she would die within a few hours. She was pale and not breathing well either. They tried to give her fluids orally but she started to gag on the liquids because she was not responsive enough to swallow on her own. Fortunately the hospital in Bubanza had discharged her and had left the port in her arm; so once the doctors remembered that they had brought saline solution in syringes for another purpose they began to administer fluid intravenously through the port the hospital had left in her arm. Everyone in the clinic started thank the Lord because it was a miracle that we were actually able to administer the fluids needed by the child so that she could make the one hour drive to Bujumbura. Since we were heading to Bujumbura anyway we all agreed it was in the child’s best interest to take her to a hospital in Bujumbura and get her admitted.
- Bernice just as we started treatment.
Burundi is a very poor country so its hospitals cannot provide the same level of service as those in the West. Another thing to note is that most African hospitals have a pay-before-you-receive-service system and it’s entirely possible that even after admission to the hospital a patent’s family will have to provide linens, food, and medical supplies for the patient and those members of the family staying in the hospital.
We packed up the clinic at 3pm in two vans and headed straight for the nearest hospital in Bujumbura. Bernice’s parents and aunt climbed into the first van with her and we left right away. The first two hospitals we checked actually did not have physicians; they were manned by nurses so we didn’t feel comfortable leaving her there. Finally we ended up at a Christian hospital; once the doctor there saw Bernice’s condition he wanted to admit her.
The question of how her parents would pay for the treatment was immediately raised. Bernice’s parents are from Bubanza and the maximum wage in that portion of the country is about 80 cents per day. The hospital asked for a $100 dollar deposit just to get her into a room. Assuming that her father makes the maximum wage in Bubanza that would be the equivalent of about 4 to 5 months salary just to get her admitted. The team really stepped up here; without being asked everyone felt they needed to give our team leader money for this family as they were able. When our team leader looked in his pocket after receiving the demand for payment he realized that the team had collectively given him $100. God is good!
Our doctor made sure to get the nicest room which was available for this family at a cost of about $22 a day. The room had two twin beds, a couch, a television and a private bath so that the parents could be comfortable as they waited for their daughter to get better.
The port that we had used to administer fluids had stopped working after we had given her about a cup of liquid intravenously in Bubanza. Therefore the hospital’s first task was attempt and get a new IV line in her vein. She was still not responsive and dehydrated so it was more difficult to get it in than it would have been under normal circumstances. But they were finally able to do it and our doctor felt comfortable leaving her in the hospital. Although our doctors aren’t infectious disease specialists; they felt that outside of a miraculous healing Bernice needs to have a lot of IV fluids and possibly a blood transfusion in order to get better.
Our doctor and team leader made sure to tell Bernice’s parents how much of a miracle it was that we had been able to try and treat Bernice and ultimately get her checked into good hospital in Bujumbura. We ourselves were astonished because we had thought our work in Bubanza was complete. Our doctor and team leader prayed for Bernice, her parents, and her aunt and let them know that the reason that Jesus had sent us to help them was because He loved them. God is good!
Later at dinner our team was reflecting on the events of the day and realized that this family was represented one of the reasons that God had sent us to Burundi. It was simply because He loves them, has a remarkable plan for them, and decided to use this set of circumstances to make Himself known to them. We prayed for this family and asked the Lord to help them understand His love for them and His desire to have a personal relationship with them. We all are praying for the Lord to heal Bernice and get her out of bed before we leave. We all desperately want to see this child get better; and we know that the Lord Jesus can heal her if we pray. So let it be known that we are all praying for her speedy recovery!!!
