16th day Monday

This morning I was able to run again. My strain has healed. 😊

As we passed by the church at 6:30, there were large groups of women in front of it, singing and strewing flowers and branches on the path.

Later we found out at the hospital that an old Malawian nun had died. She played a significant role in building this hospital. The whole day at the hospital was dedicated to her funeral. There was a shortage of staff everywhere because they were at the funeral. Even the clinic chief, Dr Mbeya, could not be reached all morning.

As we later learned, there was a big ceremony in the church, and even the bishop was present. The whole day was filled with prayers, tears, and singing. It's a shame that I didn't know earlier, otherwise I would have liked to pass by the church.

Otherwise, it was a normal treatment day today. The treatment room has become cramped now that Felix and Jenny are also there.

The treatments are now well-coordinated. The patients always state exactly which tooth they want extracted. Only a few want a filling. Most of them have been suffering from pain for months.

The pain threshold here is very high. Very few show any signs of pain, even though we always administer good anesthesia.

The midwife and pediatrician also report births where women are not allowed to scream, otherwise they are laughed at by others (including the staff).

The hierarchy between the staff and the patients is very evident here. Surprisingly, it is particularly prevalent among non-white people. Those who have education or even a degree treat others condescendingly. The staff is neither empathetic nor particularly caring towards the patients. The guardians (relatives) are responsible for providing care (food, hygiene). Many employees are unmotivated, just standing around and preferring to play with their phones. 😬 A sense of duty is foreign to them.

As a European, working here is frustrating, not only because of the lack of resources, but also because of the personnel.

If you would like more information about the hospital, here is a link: https://www.dieflohrsinmalawi.de/das-krankenhaus/