Maternity

It was very interesting to visit the Maternity Ward at the Santo Tomas Hospital this week. I work as a tech on a labor and delivery floor back home in Florida so I could definately see the comparisons between Panama and the US. When we first arrived we had to change into our scrubs and wear a hair cap, masks, and booties over our shoes. All geared up, we did a short tour around the floor. First we saw the laboring room. Back in Florida each patient has their own room where they can have family and friends support them through the laboring process. Once they are ready to deliver the labor bed converts into a delivery bed and they can deliver their babies right there with their husband or significant other by their side. In Panama there was one large room with beds lining the perimeter. There were probably about 6 or 7 patients all in active labor next to each other, moaning in pain. No family members or husbands were present. Once they are ready to deliver they are moved to a different room with windows on the doors that didn't have curtains or anything. Passing by we were able to peek right in and see someone getting sewn up and someone else delivering. I was told by one of the nurses that they are trained how to do the actual delivery because at night there is usually only one doctor and if there are more than one person delivering, the nurse and sometimes the nurse techs or students have to take over and deliver the baby. I can imagine this happens quite often because they only had 5 delivery rooms. We then went to the nursery where the babies are kept after delivery. This was a tiny room but had a LOT of babies. Some of the incubators had 3 babies in one! In this room they do the baths and the first feeding. Interestingly, the first feeding is done out of a cup, not a bottle, not a nipple, and not with the mother. I definitely learned a lot and thought it was amazing how the different health care systems work in each area.