For Justice, Understanding and Humanity. Helmut Lauschke

specialist surgeon did not say a word about his background and postgraduate training he had done in South Africa. The paediatrician whispered something into the colleague’s ear who did not show any reaction on his face. The superintendent asked the new colleague and me for a conversation after the meeting, and for comments from the forum.

      The lean matron came up with the hospital clothes for the patients, the bed linen, washing bowls and spittoons what Dr David had complained about in one of the previous meetings. The matron confirmed that the shelves in the clothes’ storeroom were empty and the kept washing bowls and spittoons were defective and useless. These items had to be ordered, she said and the superintendent made a note and promised to work on this problem. Dr David thanked the matron for the immediate reaction. The pharmacist lady announced that the cardboards with the ordered drugs against malaria and TB and some other drugs had arrived. I brought the point of the nurse in the children’s ward that milk were only periodically provided for the children and then in little quantities. This had to be seen as a matter of urgency, since children need the protein to recover from their illnesses and to improve and accelerate the postoperative healing process.

      Dr David emphasized the importance of milk as the basic nutritional element in treating the patients. He said that he cannot accept a hospital without the regular milk distribution to the patients and especially to those children who are malnourished as so often seen in this part of the world. The paediatrician did not say a word as he were not concerned about the poor nutritional status of the children. He looked at the yellowed asbestos mats in the ceiling as where there the answer for the protein enrichment of the nutrition.

      The superintendent had the face of surprise as he was not aware of this serious problem. He made a note and framed it several times and instructed the matrons to look into this matter of urgency to make sure that the children and the TB-patients get the milk on a daily basis and in sufficient quantities. I mentioned the tiresome topic of the toilets and reiterated the question of the children’s nurse, if I still believe in a miracle. “I am inclined to believe in a miracle, especially in respect of the toilet conditions in the hospital”, I said. It caused a smile on some faces, while the matrons looked with faces of concern. The superintendent was aware of the unhygienic situation. He said that he had spoken to the ‘Sekretaris’ who promised to put things right, but was still waiting for the people of the works department to do the maintenance and repair. I imagined the ‘Sekretaris’ as he had turned up his nose because of the stench that he actually couldn’t smell through the phone. The superintendent made and framed a second note and reminded the forum that no patient could be sent to Windhoek the following two weeks for specialist treatment, since the specialists were on leave in South Africa. It was his final remark and Dr Nestor closed the meeting and asked the new colleague and me to stay.