Did you know that during my last guard, 10 days ago, a 40-year-old woman arrived in the emergency room at 3 a.m., accompanied by her 18-year-old son, having a compressive pneumothorax and diabetic acidocetosis? Two vital emergencies. Two diagnoses that require immediate intervention: insulin, salty serum, chest drainage. Minutes count.
Did you know the Minister that none of this was available in the emergency room in a level 3 hospital?
Did you know that his son, panicked, had to run to buy the drugs himself? And worse, he had the money on his phone, but the hospital pharmacy didn’t take Wave? Me the doctor on duty only had money in my wave as well.
At 3 a.m., where did you want him to withdraw money, Minister? In the street? In a ghost distributor?
I was alone. Alone in the face of this woman who was suffocating. Alone in front of this son who looked at his mother to die. Alone, when I knew exactly what to do, but the system, our system prevented me.
I fought because it was out of the question that this woman dies in front of her son for drugs that were supposed to be available at any time in an emergency service.
I ran, begged, desperately sought a solution. And do you know who saved us that evening Minister? The cashier of the Golden Brioche of the Ucad (a thousand thanks to him).
Yes, a man whose job is to sell croissants did what our hospital, your, hospital could not do: he has helped us out.
Is that our health system?
-A doctor alone, from 5 p.m. to 8 a.m., who must:
– Monitor 45 patients, including 4 in intensive care.
– Manage emergencies, hospitalizations, opinions.
– And in addition, playing the banker, the logistician, the beggar of drugs at 3 a.m.
We doctors, we are killing ourselves. We invent miracle solutions in a ruined system. We beg bakery cashiers to save lives. Until when?
Enough speeches. Enough promises. Enough lives sacrificed for savings in misery.
I ask you, in the name of this woman, this son, of all those who die in the shadows as you say without studies at the prerequisites:
– Recruit doctors who are unemployed before losing them
– Support emergencies with medication.
– Stop making hospitals from the Tremb budgets
Health is priceless. But her absence costs lives.
Act. It’s time to make this sector a priority
While hoping that by the next “Labor Day” things will really change.
Aminata Diop, doctor
