A while ago, the Government did a survey for Malnourishment in this area. They found 7 of 100 children were malnourished, and ordered them to go to the hospital to be treated. They didn't go. They didn't want to go. They are busy and in survival mode. Eating is not a priority and being hospitalized would be a huge inconvenience. So, this week, the government got serious. They sent a van out to the houses and picked the children up. Their mothers and siblings came with them. Their dads, who were working in the fields, were not even informed. Then, they were dropped at our hospital. After weighing and assessing, they were checked in. These children are extremely malnourished. An 18 month old looks the size of a 6 month old. The first test is called an appetite test. They are given a small bowl of something that looks gross. If they do not eat 90% of it, a feeding tube has to be placed. That's the protocol. It just doesn't happen here. The nurses don't feel comfortable placing feeding tubes. So, they just repeat the test until the children pass. We'll see how these admissions go. The children must either gain 15% of their body weight, or stay 21 days. Whichever comes first! This might be a long 3 weeks!
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