Wilton church connects to African hospital
By Jill Denning Gackle
BHG News
When Paul Schauer described the African hospital that a Wilton church made a donation to, he struggled to describe a scene that the eyes of area residents could visualize.
"Throw away whatever picture you have in your mind," the Wilton minister said, "It’s nothing like a hospital here."
The stucco mud building has cement floors, something not all hospitals in the region have, he said.
‘If you remember the old show Mash, it’s kind of like that. It’s nothing that you or I would want to experience, but over there this hospital is a huge advance. It’s clean, has cement floors.
"Some of the hospitals over there are just dirt floors. Some have open walls and goats wander in." He said the rooms are large with 20 basic beds in each.
"There is no food service so families come and camp out and take care of their families." He said there are kitchen areas, although the restrooms are outdoor latrines, which means "African style where you squat in a hole."
The hospital Schauer visited in Central African Republic in November 2012 was also struggling to treat patients with modern technology. The hospital is solar powered with a backup battery system.
