Pediatric Hospital

Yesterday we were able to visit the pediatric hospital here in Panama City. The experience was wonderful, but very heart breaking. I came to Panama believing that pediatric ICU was my calling and after being able to visit these patients, I definitely think this is my area. I wanted to jump right in and start helping those children. They were absolutely adorable and precious! One area that specifically grabbed my attention was the oncology unit. There was a separate room with the blinds closed that they put the terminal children in. I understand that the other children in the hospital really shouldn't witness their friends dying, but to completely isolate them in a different room with no one to comfort them seems very disturbing to me. I would not want to be left alone with complete closure from the outside world if I were the child about to die. It really touched my heart. I really enjoyed the NICU at this hospital. It was very large and I was kind of shocked when I realized how technologically advanced the unit was. They had a lot of machines in this specific unit and more "beds" than any of the other units within the hospital. It is interesting to see how much fathers are not involved in their child's care. I saw maybe 5 or 6 dads with their children at this hospital. The majority of visitors were women, which is not necessarily the case in the U.S. Overall, my experience at the pediatric hospital was extremely valuable and I really enjoyed being able to take a tour.