In patients

After a long time we are admitting In-Patients again.

Last night we had an HIV positive woman from a near by suburb. She is 6 months pregnant and who needs a blood transfusion - but since the government hospitals in town were reeling under the doctor's strike we admitted her for the night and took her to Kalwa hospital today. After having been in a private hospital for 6 days - with no treatment at all - she was so happy to be with us. Just being at the JSK centre clearly took a load off her shoulders and she seemed so much brighter when she left this morning.

Barely had she left when another patient came. A man from a far suburb whose haemoglobin had dropped to a life-threatening value of only 2. Its likely that this is due to one of the anti-retroviral medications he is taking (Zidovudine causes severe aneamia in a small number of people). We have admitted him and will be giving him a blood transfusion later in the day.

Prayers are appreciated for these two very sick patients. And for Dr. Sheba and the team as they look after the man at the JSK centre.