Since May 2nd, I have been waiting to get sick. ‘Why?’ You ask, because I was told along with my fellow Beyond Borders students that the time would come when you would be sick during your time abroad. As time gradually passed and my fellow peers from Canada in Kenya fell sick and recovered all from various illnesses, some more serious then others, I started to feel confident that I would not actually fall ill. Its great to be confident about your health but as the sneezing and coughing started Monday night, I knew I would have a cold before making my way back to Canada.
The cold started with a biting headache on Monday morning, waking up Tuesday morning- I knew I would not be going anywhere quickly. It was simply a head cold, nothing more. My symptoms included a stuffy nose, fever, feeling over tired with a sneeze, cough and headache. Being sick is never fun, add the fact that your in a foreign country makes it no better.
I pondered a couple thoughts when I was ill. The first was a little bit of a confusion. When the office heard that I was ill, the first thing they asked was whether or not I was going to the hospital. I don’t understand why they asked the question. I thought perhaps its because that’s what they think westerners do when they get sick. Then, the woman who cooks for us, saw me sleeping in bed during the day when she came over the lunch hour to cook us dinner. I got up and greeted her and upon hearing that I wasn’t feeling the best, she immediately asked if I had been tested for malaria. Now don’t get me wrong, I appreciate the concern but I felt confident enough to label the illness a common cold and nothing more. [Update: 24 hours later, the only symptom that remains is a stuffy nose.]
I still don’t completely understand what drives people here to go to the hospital immediately after something goes wrong. Being concerned is absolutely positive and its good that the people are so concerned about their health. Maybe, the people that live here are afraid that they could develop a serious condition like malaria since chances are higher of getting malaria here then in other parts of the world. Having a doctor confirm a prognosis would be a positive step in ensuring and guaranteeing health since their lives are so fragile as witnessed by the low life expectancy numbers of Kenyans.
The health care system in Kenya does not appear to support the belief of seeking medical assistance. There is no national health care plan and little option for those that live on less then a dollar a day. In addition, even those with good jobs hardly have health benefits so all health costs are out of pocket. Unless you work for a multinational corporation or a very VERY reputable company, the chances of having health insurances are slim to none. Being sick also made me think about how easy it would have been for me to seek medical attention. I do have medical coverage through my school and the coverage even covers me as I travel here in Kenya. Even If I didn’t, I would more easily be able to access and afford medical attention compared to the people that actually live here. Kenyans like many in developing countries are forced with the decision to choose between basic needs like food and shelter over healthcare. Last time I checked up on humanity, these were all human rights. It breaks your heart every time you see someone need to choose between their own human rights.
I think I’ve tried to outline some of the real challenges concerning health care in a country like Kenya. The second observation I have is a little more vain and is about the comforts of home. Being a grown up is a lot less fun and filled with lots of responsibility. At home, every time I have fallen ill, it’s a comfort to know that my mom will do my laundry for me, allow me to lie for hours on end on the living room couch and accept my mood no matter how grouchy I am. In Kenya, the laundry is still neatly piled in my laundry box, I have roommates that I have to be nice to no matter how crummy I feel and a mosquito net will never replace a living room couch. Truthfully, It wasn’t as big of a deal as I thought it might be but it was nice to look at photos of loved ones back home and made me think about the people that take care of others. It takes great patience and a commitment to be a parent. I already knew this but seeing what a parent does when you have to do it yourself reaffirms how much of a commitment and responsibility it is to be a good parent. You also realize how much you love and value your family. The family unit is the first agent of socialization and its no wonder the impact the family has on your development.
As far as health care is concerned, I think having a good family is a first step. A good family is a positive first step to ensure that people are looked after enough to stay healthy is sometimes very tough circumstances. Although unsettling, it is good to know that parents are willing to sacrifice almost anything to ensure that children are properly looked after even if it means visiting a doctor or going to a hospital. I think I’ve heard first hand what it means when you have to pay out of pocket for health care. It usually means that your not getting the very best health care option because the system inherently favours those with more and sometimes means that dinner on the table is not a guarantee the next day after a hospital visit.
As I recover and go on with the rest of my journey in Kenya, I will remember that health care is a basic right and a right that gets people out of poverty.
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