Tour of a Beninese Public Hospital

Several weeks ago I was working with a friend of mine named Jean who was a translator during our outreach in Benin. I have always enjoyed working with the translators and hearing their opinions on aid, politics, and the current problems Africa faces. He began to tell me of the health care available to the common public of Benin, and I simply could not believe what he told me. I asked him if he could give me a tour of a local hospital to get a better understanding of the things he spoke of….

Several friends and I met Jean at a local public hospital one afternoon for our tour. He first brought us to the emergency room. Two armed guards in camouflage uniforms guarded the double doors that led to another world none of us had ever seen before: a world where words alone cannot express the brokenness and despair we saw that day.

The doors were opened and we stepped inside to be immediately hit by hot and humid stagnant air covered in the smell of bleach with constant alarms going off in the background. People were lying on the floor in all corners
of the room waiting to be attended to. A man obviously delirious after being in a zemijean (motortaxi) accident was trying to climb off his stretcher while his family member held him down. Surrounding us there was an obvious need for immediate attention, but there was almost no staff to be seen- no one in a hurry to help.

We were brought through examining rooms, and found more patients waiting. We walked toward the back of the ER to find a man on a stretcher breathing rapid and shallow breaths, his eyes rolling back in his head. He was lying there with just a thin cloth covering him and the room was full with the unmistakeable smell of death and decaying flesh. Flies swarmed and surrounded his right leg which was partially amputated from a traumatic zemijean accident and was in immediate need of full amputation. He was lying in his own excrement- left to die an undignified death. We were all so appalled by this sight and we all asked, how can this be?

One of the hospital staff, a nurse, allowed us to ask questions and answered us as we stood in shock and disbelief. This man represents a dire problem in Benin and his case is not uncommon. He was in a motorcycle accident and was brought to the hospital for medical care, but as he had no money, he was unable to receive help. Efforts were made to contact family to get funds for treatment, but until they arrived with the money in hand he would remain untouched by the hospital staff… the day we arrived was his tenth day of waiting for help.

The nurse told of us of how the hospital was severely lacking in medical supplies and in order to be treated, the patient must cover all expenses, including the medications needed. If the patient needed IV fluids, they must buy them, including the needles, IV tubing, and all. The pharmacy sells these medications and supplies at a price that many cannot afford… this problem explains the IV tubing (usually without it’s wrapping to ensure sterility) sold on the streets.

He answered our questions regarding the apparent lack of staff and told us that along with subpar working conditions, the pay was next to nothing leaving staff to go on strike. He told us the hospital is usually run with a ratio of one nurse to 50 patients or more- an appalling condition for a hospital ER.

We were brought through all of the hospital: the lab, patient ward, and various other areas, but the dying man left alone on the stretcher laid an impression on my heart- I truly realized at this point that life for the average Beninese is truly a hard life… which I knew, but this was the moment that it really sunk in.

God, help me to see these people as you do. May I not get lost in the suffering I see, but see a vision of hope and a future for them. May I practice what I preach. May I not rely on my own strength. When I am driven to frustration, may I not place judgement. Teach me how to love them- and may I choose love in every situation. God, give me the heart you have for Africa.

“You came for the lost, the sick, and the blind with salvation and hope
You gave to us freely so what will we do with this treasure we hold?
Let justice roll on like a river
Let mercy shine bright as the sun
Take care of the orphan and widow
Take care of our own flesh and blood
Because this is the way that You called us to love
To share what we have with the hungry and poor
Put clothes on the naked and heal the broken and torn
True Religion”

Lyrics by Ryan Delmore: True Religion