Navigating Through a Struggling Health System; the Staggering Experience of a Struggling Family

Abstract

Born at 28 weeks of gestation and weighing 800g at birth, her father preferred a public health facility where the cost of neonatal intensive care is less prohibitive. At the same time, her mother suffered wound dehiscence and was re-admitted for a prolonged period. Incidentally, resident doctors in public hospitals were three weeks into a nationwide industrial action at the time. With no one available to help out with household chores, the father had to combine the care of two children, and the logistics of two hospitals. The kids at home soon dropped out of school when the financial burden became unbearable. Even though the family’s long and onerous journey eventually ended, its impact is a large ‘wound’ that may take a while to heal.