September 16, 2016

Friday - We went to the hospital to pick up the Two Elders only to be informed by the doctor they wanted to keep the Elder for one more night. Which was OK because the Elder is in a lot of pain plus his wound is bleeding through his bandage. The Elder requested his bandage be changed and they told him they would do it "soon". An hour and a half later, I requested the bandage be changed and was told "someone is coming". An hour later, Don requested the bandage be changed and they told him "someone is coming". Half hour later Don demanded the dressing be changed. Again he was told they would do it "soon". Half an hour later Don was just getting ready to call the hospital administrator when they walked into the room to change the dressing. Don stayed in the room and watched. The Elder has a fist size bruise right where the leg connects to the pelvic bone that is dark purple and red. There is a small cut on the scrotum but nothing was bleeding. The Military Hospital poured iodine all over his groin area. Remember, we are in Africa and a/c is typically not used. The elder was sweating and the sweat made the iodine run. That is why he thought he was bleeding through the bandages. There was no packing. That was just something they said so they could charge for it. The Assistants to the President (2 young missionaries) made arrangements to have someone stay with the elder throughout the day and night. Don and I left and went to the grocery store to get water and food for those at the hospital. While at the Grocery store, a man came up to me and asked me if I knew the hurt Elder. Why, yes I did. He then explained he was the one who picked him up off the road and took him and the Ocata driver to the Military hospital. He said they were driving by the accident and saw that a white man was laying on the road so they stopped. He said the Ocata driver was laying on the ground and no one would help him at all. He was appalled that the natives have such little regard for life. (The people here have seen so much death and during the Ebola they were not allowed to go within 1 meter of a dead body. So they have been conditioned.)He and his buddy work for the military and they are in Sierra Leone on assignment. One is from Poland and the other from Hungary. It was a wonderful opportunity for us to acknowledge the goodness of their hearts