Adult Wards
 | Adults
and older adolescents stay on the male, female, and private wards. The
male and female wards each consist of one open room with 10-12 beds on
bare cement floors, and a hallway with private or semi-private beds.
Visiting seems quite casual, with family members and friends sitting on
the floor or bed (there are never enough chairs), or on the walkway
outside. There is no food service in the hospital, so families either
cook outside on fires or buy food from vendors just outside the
hospital. |  | The
nurses and attendants looking after the patients are all Nigerian,
as are most of the doctors. The team of physicians for each service
typically consists of a "house-officer" (intern, fresh from medical
school), a junior or senior general practice registrar (i.e., a family
practice resident) and a "consultant" (attending physician).
|  | In
contrast with a hospital in the developed world, there is very little
in the way of equipment or technology on these wards. A few patients
have IV fluids running from bags supported on poles. Sometimes an
oxygen tank or suction unit is in use. And oh yes, there are lights and
a refrigerator. | | | |
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