Lab Coats and Pinpricks

Ndi! Good Morning!

I was back in the HIV testing ward this morning for volunteering. I spent part of the morning assisting with taking weight of patients for their check-ups with the nurses. It was terribly hot and cramped in the little room that I was in, and I was feeling a bit like I was just in the way of the nurses instead of actually being a helpful set of hands. Like I mentioned earlier, my lack of medical certification of any type is pretty hindering in terms of what I can actually help with at the hospital. Don't get me wrong, I am absolutely loving everything that I have been learning, but there are times that I feel stuck between actually being helpful and being just another body in the room. 

Just as I was feeling pretty down about my situation in the HIV clinic, one of the lab technicians, Emmanuel, popped in the room and immediately motioned for me to follow him. He was wearing a very clean, crisp lab coat and seemed to be of high importance. I've learned since being in the hospital that you don't really question what any of the doctors, nurses, etc. ask of you...you just respond immediately to their request. I followed him into a nearby room that I found out was one of two laboratories on the hospital grounds. Luckly for me, the room was air conditioned and my mood was lifted almost as soon as sitting down in nice cool chair :) Emmanuel started chatting with me about the hospital, my time in Ghana as was asking me all about the United States in comparison to Ghana. Out of all the people I've met and the conversations that I have had, this one with Emmanuel was easily the most laid back, comfortable, and fluid conversation I've had in Ghana. His English was excellent and I had little to no trouble understanding him, even with his Ghanian accent. He had been to the US before so we were able to chat about that for awhile. 

After we chatted for a good 30 minutes, he started to explain his work in the hospital, specifically within the HIV ward. He is the head of the laboratory testing unit and works within all sectors of the hospital. The main job that he does in this ward is taking blood samples of infants who were born from HIV positive mothers. He then uses these samples to determine if the child contracted HIV from the mother or if it was fortunate enough to be born HIV negative. I've learned that if the doctors and nurses are able to catch a woman's HIV positive status early on in her life, and in pregnancy, then they are able to start her on medications that do not affect the development of the fetus and most often result in an HIV negative birth. I helped Emmanuel outline the notebook that he uses to log all of his patients and their HIV results. I then observed while he took the blood sample from the heel of a infant boy. I felt so sad for the child as he squirmed uncomfortably in his mothers arms, but Emmanuel was very good at handling the pinprick and obtaining the samples. I had to leave shortly after observing him at work, but Emmanuel seemed extremely eager to have me work with him again and I would love the opportunity to learn more about what he does and hopefully be of assistance to him!

This afternoon we will be visiting a Witch Doctor and and Herbalist to learn about alternative forms of medicine and health care that many people in Ghana still partake in. I'm extremely interested to see how it goes. :)

Mia dogo kpuie! (See you soon),

~ Sarah