Another emergency here last night with Laxmi Sapkota, who collapsed and fainted like she often does. When she came round she couldn’t breathe easily or swallow. Looked like she was having a fit. She panicked, thinking she was dying and it was hard to calm her down. Wish we could find out what is causing these attacks. Rajina went to the hospital with her while I had the easy job of staying with the baby.
Imagine an emergency room where there are two and three patients in one bed, where the doctors contradict each other – one gives oxygen, the other rudely disconnects it while shouting at the patient. Laxmi shared her bed with a patient with kidney failure, Rajina kept her temper in check and took a few mobile photos before coming home with Laxmi who was given a tranquilizer .
Today I took Laxmi to a different hospital and they have admitted her. They say she has a conversion disorder, and it is not life threatening and we shouldn’t make such a fuss over her when she collapses. Hard not to when she is screaming and thrashing about. I insisted on another cat scan – results tomorrow. Her 14 year old son will stay with her tonight. Heaven help Nepal if there is a National Disaster, their hospitals are not equipped to deal with much. I witnessed one lady and her son struggling to push her half dressed husband on a trolley up a large ramp with oxygen tank attached. Perhaps they were going to have to operate on him themselves – not sure.
