Hospital-Day 1!!

So, I finally go in to the hospital. And it was actually pretty great. Granted, I again get to do almost nothing, and I feel very useless, but I get a lot out of it personally, and the system is fascinating, so I'm not complaining.

I arrived, and once the doctor got there at 11 am, we went around making rounds. There is an upstairs and downstairs, both of which have large rooms with maybe 10-15 beds in with people who had been admitted. It's a pediatric hospital, though they sometimes admit older patients if they're friends or very wealthy. They also have a few air conditioned rooms at a very high price. The doctor spends about 30 sec on each patient, seeing if anything has changed, and dictating. Then, we go to his office where he receives patients until 3 pm. Basically, he has a large office with 2 examining tables (never washed) and they let in 10-15 families at a time. There is no line, but rather they sort of fight and shove to be seen first. If someone is wealthy and known by the doctor, they are automatically seen first. The doctor spends about 60 sec with each patient, using equipment that is never cleaned and there are no shields over. They pay the doctor directly in cash, and then are sent out for shots or medicine. It's a crazy hectic process, and not at all like a U.S. doctor's office. Hopefully I get to do more soon!