With this entry, I hope to give you a glimpse of the poor healthcare situation here. Seeing things here has definitely given me a great appreciation for my job and my life back home. For whatever problems exist, at least there are ways to help things change. Here, the problems are enormous and changing them seems far far too complex.
The sun rising over Padre Billini Hospital.
Literally, right outside the door, sleeps a homeless person. Every time I've walked past this hospital there is someone new there.
A normal site: standing room only in the waiting room. Our managers would be having a fit if they saw this and the staff that was sitting down, chatting in the back.
cleanest ward in the entire hospital.
There's enormous gates like this one all over the hospital. After 3 all entries and exits are through the emergency room. "Guards" sitting in the chair there, screen those who want to enter. I was told if I wore a pair of scrubs I could circulate without a problem. It was true. No HIPPA laws here. I photographed anything I wanted and no one asked me anything. As for getting through, they just smiled and opened the door.
A doctor actually working, in the E.R. Usually they were behind the desk laughing and chatting as patients waited in the waiting room.
Despondant lady, waiting for a diagnosis.
MMMM yum. Now here's a nice, pustulant leg wound. Hope u all ate breakfast already. He had a stretcher in the middle of everyone else. And hey, why undress the patient and look further? He's probably fine.
This by far was the saddest site I saw. Far from any wards or nurses was this one room with only this skinny little skeleton in it. He had an old smelly diaper on and bloody sheets. Of course he didn't have any way to call for help. I don't know how long he'd been lying there, but it appeared to be a very long time.
This gentleman receives hemodialysis twice a week. Because of poor education and care for diabetics, there are often many avoidable complications like dialysis, amputations of limbs and etc... The fortunate end up on dialysis, those who don't have the money, pass on.
This is an inpatient ward. The beds continue on the right about 4 more and then wrap around behind me to the left. Try recovering here. The food on the table there, was there for hours. The CDC would go nuts!
This young lady is 17 years old and already receives Hemodialysis. She was in a ward with abuot 8 other patients.
Look closely at this lady. She is laying on a dirty stretcher without a sheet. There is only a brown paper towel stretched down the length of it. The nurse working with her did everything, including change her dressing, without gloves.
This lady was quite ill. She had an NG tube and check out her diaper with powder coming out. She was forunate though, she had family to care for her. She also was in a ward with about 8 other patients. The ward reeked of urine.
This man came in and asked for help. He had been waiting for a long time. There were available stretchers in the Emergency wards, but all the medical personel were moving very slowly and told him he'd have to wait. So he crawled out the door and knelt onto the disgusting floor outside, waiting.
In an almost dream-like ending, I careened down to the Santo Domingo airport in a taxi, windows down, the breeze blowing my hair, with Anthony Santos blaring, strumming his meringue beach music. Meanwhile my taxi driver belted out the words for me. I stared out the window at this beautiful paradise I was leaving as the palm trees whizzed by. I can't believe it's already over. So quick. Just like that. Thank you God for this trip. May I never forget the things I saw or the lessons I learned here. 
