The Sufferings Of Pregnant Women

HMMMM................
I only used to watch it on the tele - One rainy midnight, the midwife in-charge calls for me at 11:30pm. "Emma, take this patient to duayaw nkwanta (d/n)as referral at1st stage labour with diagnoses of grand multip, anaemia in pregnancy, high BP and meconium stained liquor.

A taxi is board to go to d/n. Upon reaching Asukese, we find one truck and one taxi stuck in the mud on the road, with one 207 benz overturned by the mud; all 3 blocking the road. No car can come to Bomaa or go to d/ n through Asukese.

I ask the driver," what do we then do, is there any other route". He says, "through Edwenase". So Edwenase we go. Patient humming and panting at the back seat, with R/L infusion in situ.

In total darkness we ply the Edwenase road.
Then the driver says " tighten your seat belts bcos i must drive fast in order not to get stuck in the mud". But the mud had a different story to tell us. In the course of speeding,the mud sharply twists the car transversely across the road. The patient and the relative shouts "Jesus, God save us".

I said" No,we wont go any further, let's go back to Bomaa".

12:20am; the car reverses for about 10 mins before getting enough space to turn round. As the car reverses, the mud continues to control the movement of the car more than the steer. I then get out and upon instruction, i am to push the car but interestingly not from the front or back but rather the sidewards as the driver steers the wheel concurrently, to prevent the mud from drawing the car into the huge gutter beside the road.

1:25am; We reach Bomaa, narrate the whole issue. The in-charge is confusingly frustrated, not knowing what to do.

An idea pops up, "let's call an ambulance to meet us at Asukese. We will then alight and walk to the other side of the road to meet them. The in-charge replies "good idea".

1:40am; We then drive back to Asukese, then stops about 5min walk from the 3 stuck cars, awaiting an already informed ambulance in total darkness, just with a torchlight, in the middle of a silent street.

The in-charge calls frequently to find out if the ambulance has arrived. I will respond "Nooo".

Then a call comes in from the in-charge, "Emma, the ambulance has reached Nkwantabisa, about 30mins walk from Asukese, but this is what they said, "We are sorry, the ambulance can't ply the road any further, bcos of the muddy nature, so we are going back".

The hope of getting to a hosp. keeps shutting down on us as every tick of the clock sounds.

With hope described as little, standing in the drizzle, awaiting a vehicle from a miracle.

2am; Another R/L infusion 500ml set up in the car. Still in the middle of the dead street, wet in our clothes together with the driver.

The in-charge then calls and informs us, "Emma, the district director has sent a pick- up with Baba Moses as the driver to take us to Duayaw Nkwanta (D/N).

2:35am; Baba Moses arrive with the car on the other side of the road. Patient is held by the arms, bare footed and walks for about 5min to the other side. Gradually we get into the pick-up, intended for d/n hosp.

2:47am; We reach d/n. What! Oh no!, total black out even at the hospital. The hope keeps sinking into the ditch as the patient cries and shouts in pain.

I ask the midwife on night duty, "please what can you do now?". She responses "there is black out and our generator is faulty, so in consultation with the doctor on duty, go to Sunyani Reg. hosp. The patient might undergo C/S and we don't have light for that".

3:02am; We leave for Sunyani straight away, 180km/h, "break lights"on,speeding so fast, turning blind eyes to the bumpers on the road. Baba proved that he was an experienced driver. Series of calls going on to make sure we are not let down this time.

In-charge calming patient down on the phone.
4am; We reach Sunyani Reg. hosp., rush patient to the labour ward through the welcoming co-operation of the staff at the hospital. I hand over everything.

4:40; Drives all the way back safely to Bomaa Health Centre in the district pick-up.

- But now, i did not only witnessed it, but also experienced it to the highest level on the 06/06/2014. This is my story. Adu Gyamfi Emmanuel (staff nurse), Bomaa health centre, Tano North District -B/A.

Hope you are sad. Thats the country we live in.
By: Douglas Adu-Fokuo