Yet more south africa

The last i promise of "typical" south african stories .... but this one really infuriated me ...

I was at Edendale hospital this week ... yes the one where 80% of the inpatients have HIV .... where TB is second nature .... and where I can't even walk onto the paediatric ward without getting all teary .... and like all hospitals in South Africa - the nurses rule the roost and the doctors wander around looking like shell-shocked bunnies trying to fire-fight emergencies and generally do what the nurses tell them to ...

So despite my trepidation and knowing how it gets to me - I had to see some cases on the kiddies level (natch - i was told to by one of the chief nurses) ... and let me just say here that it is NOTHING like children's wards anywhere that i've ever been used to ... no toy areas or play therapy for these kids ... no bright colours or happy murals .... they just lie three to a bed .... and are so skinny that they actually fit .... and so sick they don't move very much ....

So imagine my outrage when i caught the nurses (all typically "rubenesque" zulu women) on the ward chomping down the hospital meals MEANT FOR THE CHILDREN!! And when i opened my mouth to protest - the ward sister just waggled her finger at me ..... and i meekly knew my place ....

Sometimes africa just bites you in the bum ....