2024-01-18 13:06:59
Updated Thursday, January 18, 2024 – 12:06
When I left Portugal at the end of September to work as a pediatrician in the new Doctors Without Borders (MSF) project in Afghanistan, I was worried about the environment and wondered what life would be like in that mountainous country in the heart of Asia. I had experience with MSF in South Sudan and Yemen. The stories and experiences that awaited me in Afghanistan would rekindle the passion, reminding me of the deep joy and vocation of the work of a pediatrician at MSF.
In it Mazar-i-Shari Regional Hospitalf, in Balkh province, in the northern part of Afghanistan, I have witnessed the incredible strength and resilience of the families and children who come to the center. An inspiring story is that of Shekiba22 years old, and his daughter, Atoosa.
Shekiba, a proud mother from Chimtal district – an hour’s drive from Mazar-i-Sharif – embarked on a difficult journey when she gave birth to her beautiful daughter, Atoosa, prematurely, at just 28 weeks, in the ward. maternity hospital of Mazar-i-Sharif, managed by the Ministry of Public Health. The arrival of Atoosa, who weighed only 1.2 kilos at birth, marked the beginning of a long and hard battle for her survival. Due to her low weight and physical condition, she was admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of the hospital to which she provides MSF support.
Premature newborns must remain hospitalized for a long time and this is very difficult for their families to cope with. As the Mazar-i-Sharif center is a regional hospital, we receive premature and sick newborns from various towns and cities in northern Afghanistan. Many mothers remain alone with their baby in the hospital for several weeks, far from their families and homes. At Mazar-i-Sharif Hospital we not only admit newborns born in the hospital’s maternity ward, but also those who are referred from other health centers in the northern provinces of Afghanistan.
What brought me closer to Shekiba was that her baby was one of the first we admitted to the NICU, they spent a lot of time in the hospital and it gave us time to bond. For two months, pace every waking moment looking at your baby, and sometimes he had trouble falling asleep. The agony of seeing your baby on assisted breathing and not knowing if he or she will make it through can be distressing, and Shekiba sometimes felt dejected and burst into tears. But in those moments of despair, she had the emotional support of other mothers and the nursing and medical staff.
With the help of an interpreter specialized in medical translation who helps me at work, I tried to talk to her during my breaks and got to know her better. She told me about her joys and her problems, and what it was like growing up with nine siblings. It was also in Mazar-i-Sharif where he met her husband and decided to start a family. We established a bond that grew stronger while she remained in the hospital. Shekiba often asked me when her baby girl would come out of the incubator – which she had shared with another baby for weeks – but Most of the time I couldn’t give her the answers she wanted to hear..
Shekiba, with her baby, Atoosa, in the premature ward of the Mazar-i-Sharif hospital.Oriane ZerahMSF
The NICU is a specific area equipped with specialized medical equipment and trained medical staff to care for very sick and premature babies who need intensive care. The care provided in the NICU is tailored to the specific needs of newborns and often includes support for premature babies, those with low birth weight, perinatal problems, or congenital anomalies.
Since opening its doors to patients after exhaustive preparations in October, the NICU, which is supported by MSF, has had more patients than beds. Today we have more than 60 children in the NICU, although there is only space for 27, so many babies must share a bed. It is not an ideal situation, but sometimes we face this type of situation when the context has enormous needs. In Mazar-i-Sharif, about 540 babies are admitted to the NICU each month.
Shekiba couldn’t hide her happiness the day I gave her the news that her baby was stable enough to be moved from the NICU – where she had been for a month – to the prematurity ward. He immediately looked for her phone to make a call. The voice on the other end of the line was that of her husband, according to what the interpreter told me. “We will be leaving the hospital soon!” Shekiba announced.
She told me that whenever she got sad, she held her baby in her arms and that it made her feel better. She draws strength from the love she feels for her daughter and the hope for a future full of precious moments and fond memories: “I can’t wait to comb her hair, make her long braids, take her to school and talk for hours.”
Shekiba grew stronger during her stay in the hospital and spent time offering support and comfort to other mothers who were facing challenges similar to hers.
When I write these lines, and after two months without leaving the hospital, Shekiba returns home. He now weighs 2 kilos. We shed some tears. We discharged her, hoping not to see her in the hospital again soon, except for routine checkups.
Prematurity is one of the main causes of morbidity and mortality in newborns in Afghanistan, as in other low-income countries. It is therefore extremely important Comprehensive medical care for premature newborns. These vulnerable babies require meticulous care and specialized treatment, which is why our work at Mazar-i-Sharif is vital to saving these young lives.
MSF pediatrician, Monica Costeira.Oriane ZerahMSF
The work we do at this hospital is intrinsically linked to compassion and dedication. It is a privilege to witness people’s determination to prosper, despite adversity. The resilience of these children and their families in the midst of chaos is a testament to the unbreakable human spirit.
*Monica Costeira He is a pediatrician at Doctors Without Borders in Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan.
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