Photo courtesy MAHI International
Today was an interesting day, visiting many of the places I will be working in Kolonia and meeting people I will be collaborating with on various education projects. Throughout this time I took advantage of the opportunity to pick John’s brain particularly about work culture in Pohnpei and the many obstacles he has confronted during his eleven years so far on the island. What will stick out in my mind about today though is our visit to the Pohnpei State Hospital. The education initiative of MAHI is actually a recent development, as the majority of their work has focused on basic human services including healthcare. A large 40-foot container organized by John in the States is scheduled to arrive in about a month filled with hospital beds, bassinets, exam tables and many other medical supplies for the hospital. MAHI has also worked on construction projects in the hospital, such as recently converting storage rooms into private rooms for patients.
While MAHI’s past work in the hospital has been very helpful, the current state of the facilities is simply shocking. On the whole, the building looks like it hasn’t been touched since the 1940s. Rust coats many of the metal instruments. Ants cover many areas of the floor. Less than twenty yards from the ER ward, the ceiling was rotting away and dripping from a leak in some area of the buildings structure. All in all, the entire building was just dirty; even the sign in front is covered in rust. More than just the building itself, the hospital is lacking basic supplies. None of the beds have any sheets on them since previously they disappeared when patients were discharged. John told me that much of the hospital is without soap as, like the sheets, employees and patients took the soap home. (I will have a separate post in the future about the Pohnpeian tendency to have supplies, such as school textbooks, disappear never to be seen again).
Perhaps someday I will post pictures of what I saw today, but I really don’t think pictures will do the scene justice. Vast improvements are needed but like in most of the world, change is really hard. Indeed, I’m sure I will experience many frustrations with the lack of progress, or at least the speed of any progress, during my time in Pohnpei. The phrase often used is “island time.” To get anything done, whether trying to get information from a government agency, get Internet expanded in your home, or even pay for an item at a store –takes forever. A great example is John trying to get power to the house he built. It literally took three years and that only happened with a stroke of luck and a lot of perseverance.
Despite the awful state of the hospital and the often stagnant to slow pace of progress, it is encouraging that progress is possible through organizations like MAHI International. When there are people on the ground like John, Kat and all those who support MAHI whether through volunteering their time or resources, change is not only possible, it’s inevitable. This change isn’t fast or easy, but after seeing how driven the MAHI team is and how much of a heart they have for service; it’s clearly evident that no obstacle is insurmountable. I hope I can cultivate such a passion during my time here and I am excited to help improve the education system, ready to tackle all the obstacles undeniably waiting for me.
While MAHI’s past work in the hospital has been very helpful, the current state of the facilities is simply shocking. On the whole, the building looks like it hasn’t been touched since the 1940s. Rust coats many of the metal instruments. Ants cover many areas of the floor. Less than twenty yards from the ER ward, the ceiling was rotting away and dripping from a leak in some area of the buildings structure. All in all, the entire building was just dirty; even the sign in front is covered in rust. More than just the building itself, the hospital is lacking basic supplies. None of the beds have any sheets on them since previously they disappeared when patients were discharged. John told me that much of the hospital is without soap as, like the sheets, employees and patients took the soap home. (I will have a separate post in the future about the Pohnpeian tendency to have supplies, such as school textbooks, disappear never to be seen again).
Perhaps someday I will post pictures of what I saw today, but I really don’t think pictures will do the scene justice. Vast improvements are needed but like in most of the world, change is really hard. Indeed, I’m sure I will experience many frustrations with the lack of progress, or at least the speed of any progress, during my time in Pohnpei. The phrase often used is “island time.” To get anything done, whether trying to get information from a government agency, get Internet expanded in your home, or even pay for an item at a store –takes forever. A great example is John trying to get power to the house he built. It literally took three years and that only happened with a stroke of luck and a lot of perseverance.
Despite the awful state of the hospital and the often stagnant to slow pace of progress, it is encouraging that progress is possible through organizations like MAHI International. When there are people on the ground like John, Kat and all those who support MAHI whether through volunteering their time or resources, change is not only possible, it’s inevitable. This change isn’t fast or easy, but after seeing how driven the MAHI team is and how much of a heart they have for service; it’s clearly evident that no obstacle is insurmountable. I hope I can cultivate such a passion during my time here and I am excited to help improve the education system, ready to tackle all the obstacles undeniably waiting for me.
