My Recent Visit to a Hospital

Recently, I had to go visit my grandmother in a hospital. Basically, what happened was that she wounded her leg on some coral reefs and other wildlife.

Those wounds became infected and poisoned, causing fever, nausea and massive swelling.

The strange thing was that she was all right for almost a week, when the symptoms arose. Very strange indeed.

What can I learn from this? Irrigate the hell out of any wound as soon as possible. Distilled water is cheap but getting sick can be really expensive. Sterilize. If in doubt, get help immediately and don't assume you know what's going on. Actually, don't assume doctors know for certain what's going on. 

Anyway, about the hospital. Now, this hospital has been renovated within the last decade. But honestly, it doesn't make it any better of a place to stay.

1. This was not a private room. (Or...)

We weren't planning a long stay, so we decided any room would do. The most common kind of room has about 10 patients in it.

Now, if you estimate that 1 in 10 people are snorers, you would expect at least 1 snorer in the room, and 1 next door, and so on.

And things are constantly happening. Patients move in and out, nurses do their rounds, things get wheeled around.

Perhaps the only good thing is the greater opportunities for interacting with other patients in the same state as you.

2. Everything seems to be kept so clean, but is also so dirty.

One thing you notice in any current hospital are the number of sanitizers, wash stations. I think I could count 1 every 10 meters.

Another thing one sees during visitation is how many people go there wearing some kind of respiratory mask. Note that we were in the middle of a significant flu season and every hygiene poster I saw recommended wearing a mask, among other precautions.

Yet another point i realized was just how many possible surfaces could have nasty germs on them. For example, the heart rate monitor trolley. Before it was used, everybody was advised to put their masks on. While it is a sensible precaution, it does raise questions about hygiene.

To top it off, there are plenty of superbugs that are likely present in any major medical facility. Hospital-acquired infections are pretty common (A common estimate stands at 10%). The patient next to my grandmother somehow ended up with some serious infection after leg surgery and had to undergo amputation on short notice.

And so, within the hour I was there, I became germophobic and decided that I would not touch anything at all. I would look at a knob, an elevator button and sing "Can't Touch This".

I can't say it's healthy, but maybe that's the only way to be, in such an environment.

3. Food was bland and not very nutritious.

Hospital food is not bad, but it's bland. It saps at one's will to live.

Opposite my grandmother was this Indian woman whose visitors brought her some very fragrant curry. Very lucky.

4. You can't feel the sun.

The rooms are, well, indoors. While some have windows, they were always closed. You can't feel the sun and the sky. Shouldn't everybody be getting more Vitamin D?

5. Healthcare workers, patients and their kin are affected by all of the above.

How would I describe the atmosphere... very sober. The workers were very methodical and professional. The cleaners, nurses would small-talk to each other while they passed each other. The patients seemed, for the most part, calm and relaxed.

But no one seemed happy. Or at least they didn't show it. It made me think just how much hospitals actually need people like Patch Adams.

Conclusion

An , keeps the doctors away!

Truth be told, healthcare outcomes are likely better than it has been for all of human history. But there is a really long way to go before they become the medical facilities of Hollywood movies.

Until then, try to stay out.


Some stats from the Dept of Health in HK.

http://www.dh.gov.hk/english/statistics/statistics_hs/files/Health_Statistics_pamphlet_E.pdf