Health Worker's Appreciation

The last week in Nicaragua was of course exciting right up to the last day. Starting off the week we got the opportunity to teach Juan (our technician) a little bit about the toxicity of mercury when the second mercury containing device came in. An original Baumanometer from the dark ages was sitting in the corner when we got there waiting to be re-filled and this week a nurse brought in a mercury based sphygmomometer for repair. The nurse was also unaware that the instrument is a health hazard as we pointed out the small beads of mercury that had escaped from the cylinder. She told us about a child currently in the ICU in critical condition who had been treated for diarrhea with a folk medicine-advised cocktail of cooking oil, milk of magnesia, and mercury bought off of the black market.

Wednesday, the ICU called maintenence about a ventilator that they thought was malfunctioning because the infant's chest was not rising with the ventilators pulses. After testing the artificial lungs' pressure and the attachment tubes, it turned out that the infants airway had become clogged with mucus so the air was not reaching his lungs. After quickly aspirating his airway, his chest rose and fell with ease. One of our biggest frustrations is that the staff doesn't have the confidence or the know-how in the use of the machines to be able to provide the best care. We hope that the few people we were able to teach will be able to help the rest of the staff in the future. Finally on Thursday, our last day, we awaited the National Health Worker's Appreciatio celebration to start at 10:30. In the morning, we were checking on another ventilator in the ICU (turned out, it just had empty O2 and air tanks and a questionable valve) when we heard a commotion from the nurses. A small mouse scurried across the threshold and behind a brick in the corner. But no worries, Juan quickly hunted it with a flat head screwdriver.

Then, at 10:30 AM, business in the hospital halted and everyone gathered in the large gymnasium space used as an outpatient consultation area. A stage with a DJ and lots of lights filled the room and music echoed out of the open doors. Lots of dancing (a provocative style from the carribean coast with lots of movement) and drinking ensued among coworkers and the party continued until after 12AM! The best i could do were the few salsa moves I had learned in Costa Rica. Imagine this happening in your work place.