January 13, 2015

Exam room in the level one hospital
Photo Credit: Kirstie Geier 

Kirstie: On this lovely Tuesday morning we had the pleasure or exploring the level one healthcare facility. We were supposed to visit two of these facilities, but we were unable to visit the first because the doctors and nurses were not present because they were making house calls. We were informed that this was a common occurrence in the healthcare system. This occurrence reiterated the theme of the D.R.’s healthcare system, which was a lack of resources. Unfortunately, doctors and nurses were not as plentiful in the D.R. as they are in the U.S. to provide care to patients in need, especially in the public setting. Also, during our visit to the level one hospital I noticed that the rooms were small and were not furnished with sufficient space. The building was also in close vicinity the road with open windows, which allowed for vast amounts of noise from the environment to pass through. This could affect the quality of healthcare given to the patient because it could hinder communication between the patient and the healthcare provider. It is also not an ideal environment to have and intimate or serious conversation regarding ones health struggles. My views of this visit could be skewed by my experiences in the U.S. due to our ample amount of resources present in healthcare. The D.R. shows its strength by maintaining functionality and providing care to patients with the limited resources available to them.

Doctor in front of level one hospital
Photo Credit: Rose Kalala

Rose: When we arrived to the level one hospital, there were about five patients present. The general doctor that gave us the tour had been with one of these patients upon our arrival, but stopped his consultation with the patient to give us a tour. Although, we were very thankful for his time, I could not help but to feel very guilty that we had taken the doctor away from his patient. I feel like this shows not only the level of privilege we have as Americans, but it also sheds light on yet another cultural difference between the two countries. If a group came to an American hospital for a tour, I believe the doctor would finish with his patient or not have a patient during the time of the tour, which then delves into the different views on the concept of time and planning between the D.R. and U.S. Although our treatment can be justified by cultural difference, it does not change the fact that his patient’s quality of care was affected by our visit. This leads me to wonder how other patients’ quality of care becomes equally affected by interruptions or the healthcare provider’s schedule.

Monument in honor of the Mirabal sisters
Photo Credit: Crystal Croom

Crystal: This evening we watched a movie called The Time of the Butterflies. This film tells the true story of the three Mirabal sisters, who in the 1960’s plotted to overtake the Dominican government. This revolutionary plot started with Minerva, the first women to attend and complete law school in the DR. Even through her struggle of getting in and completing law school her degree was withheld from her out of revenge from Rafael Leonidas Trujilo. He was a powerful dictator and his ruling over the country was harsh and demanding, harming anyone that disobeyed. Maria Teresa found her sister at law school after running away from home. She soon joins the revolution even though Minerva pleads her not to. Their forces and determination become stronger as they take more strikes at the government by trying to hide military weapons. At first their older sister Patria is hesitant to join her them, but decided she would rather be with them while they fought then to just watch. All three women were very strong as they were harassed, imprisoned, and killed. The ending of this movie was very sad as I did not want it to end the way it did but many believed in them and carried on their revolutionary plots to finally overthrow Trujilo. To honor their courage and strength a beautifully colored monument was built in their memory in Santo Domingo.