A Special Mother's Day Post

I was reading UT's blog post on Mother's Day and she referred back to her post for Libya's Mother's Day and her trip to the main hospital, Tripoli Medical Center (TMC)this past March . She went to the infectious disease department where AIDS ,Hepatitis , and other contagious diseases are treated . Here is the exert from her post . I found it to be very enlighting and informative .Thanks UT for such a great report .For the full blog post click here for the link .

" Another visit to TMC (part 1)

Last year if any of you recall I visited the Cancer stricken children for the Children’s and Mother’s Day and Id promised myself that Id find a way to visit the HIV and Hepatitis Band C children, and am happy to say that my prayers were answered. Some family members and friends asked me time and again why I do this. They think it’s to promote our center, to which I respond that I want to go to bed every night believing that I made a child happy and showed him/her that a complete stranger had cared enough to hopefully have put a smile on his or her face! And if it weren’t for our center I wouldn’t have the funds to help. Many give to The Cancer stricken children, but the children who are virus affected are not given the same attention. They are at the end of the day, children, who didn’t ask to be born or infected, and deserve the best.

Through my daughter’s friend I met two lovely ladies, a doctor whose name is Suher and a nurse Soumeya. Both of these ladies would make any Libyan proud of this medical team for they both work at the same hospital, something which is always appreciated in any field at any given time, and rarely seen in the everyday management in our country…

Anyways this time I am to tell you of my encounter, which was if I may say, of a very friendly one, for the ladies really made me feel at home in an environment which is incomparable to any home of any sort. This is the Infectious Department at the Tripoli Medical Center (TMC). I was afraid at first, needless to say why ….. But the doctor reassured me stating there was no concern to be, as I wasn’t visiting the wards or the patients which would be for the next visit, and most of the doctors weren’t wearing masks, an observation which got my attention as I too wasn’t asked to wear one. I am never a fidgety person especially where sick people are concerned for I never want to make them feel uncomfortable since what they are going through is more than enough. Here as always I forget myself and think of others first, another of my weaknesses.

We discussed so many topics concerning our beloved people’s lack of awareness in our country. Dr Suher which is indeed a bright , and dedicated person working in a place where lack of awareness is home , continuing to strive and find ways to treat their patients through other clinics as the patients are at high risk of infecting others and many doctors, in other clinics will not take them in, still she remains optimistic. So a solution was made that of having collaboration with other departments at TMC to treat the patients when a new complaint was called upon.

Nursing was also another topic discussed, again here we the same problem that arises that of nurses being seen as mere cleaning ladies and not respected for their hard and demanding work. This I commented on as it’s not a complaint we face in Libya only but in the entire Arab world. A nurse is seen and looked down upon whereas a doctor is of a better standard professionally speaking.. Little do our people know that these professionals have to work hand in hand as a team to compliment one another, thus achieving success, or as is as said in our traditional way “one cannot clap with one hand,” i.e. you need two hands to clap!


Where the patients concerned are stricken with any of the above mentioned viruses, for some even leave their relatives never to come back to them till informed of their death.. The doctors keep telling them time and again of the transmission of the illness and how the shaking of hands a hug or kiss wont transmit the illness , something which these patients are in great need of, yet alas nothing is done leaving them living a phobia that has no real need resulting in depressed patients.

The people suffering from the illnesses get treated at the out patient clinic from Saturdays to Wednesdays and a 24 hour doctor is always available on call. The medical assistance and medicines are all free of charge, but the patients have to be registered and filed first. The Clinic also provides orientation and awareness programmes explaining to the patients and their (if any) interested family members, how the diseases are transmitted, thus taking the pre cautionary measures required.

Some families are so ashamed of their sick family member that its so devastating to the ill person, something they could do without. Others live in denial. Others still who are of middle class or higher would keep it a secret and travel abroad to get treatment. We have the treatment and the best is available, if only our people would open up and not live in denial, by coming to terms with these sick people for they are sick as any sick person can be and more. The cancer stricken are more respected and seen as a wish from Allah whereas those hit with the viruses are seen and accused of sinful doings, which is in most cases no wrong doings of theirs ,sigh !"

Photos will follow asap

Posted by UT at 10:26 AM

Labels: children day in Libya, doctors, Libyan Doctors TMC, Mothers Day