I did get a chance to visit Yekatit 12 Hospital for the first time with MARNAT foundation, during this visit I was able to visit the pediatric and the pediatric burn unit. It's so heartbreaking to see so many kids admitted for malnutrition. According to the Dr and the nurse, some of the patients have been discharged but are unable to leave the hospital due to a lack of resources such as baby formula, Diapers….. none of the hospital room bathrooms are working, you will find 3-4 pediatric patients with their families in one room ….
The fact that the hospital has poor sanitation and having kids with burns and other injuries with no bathroom can cause more harm to the patient. When we get to the burn unit
This 8-month-old girl and her young mom caught my attention. For now, I will call her Baby G. Baby G and her Mom has been at Yekatit 12 hospital for the past two weeks. baby G was admitted to the burn unit after she sustained not sure but looks like stage 4 burn to 75% of her little body. According to her mom's story the burn happened when her mom was baking “injera” and baby G was sleeping next to her mom left the house to talk to someone while baby G was asleep, when the mom come back to the house baby G is not where she left her, the mom stated after looking for a few minutes she found the baby inside the fire under the “Mitad” I am not sure how long it took the family to take baby G to the nearest hospital but it took them over 20+ days and 5 different hospitals/clinics to get to Yekatit Hospital. Per the Doctor and the nurse at Yekatit hospital when they received the patient the wound was infected and weren’t sure if they can save her lower limbs.
amputate some of her toes and able to save her limbs. Baby G has a very long way before she leaves the facility. She will need multiple debridements, wound care, and surgeries. The hospital can only provide what's available at the hospital which is very limited. foundation like MARNAT jump in to help and fill the gaps help the underserved patient population by providing some medical supplies such as surgical gloves ( sterile gloves), vaseline gauze, vaseline, normal saline, any medication that the hospital doesn’t have or provide so the patient can get the appropriate treatment. I would like to give a big thank you to MARNAT for giving me this opportunity to visit and touch some lives.
“If you want to run fast, run alone. If you want to run far Run together “
African proverb
Together we can make a difference.