At Ariwa Health Center in Bidi Bidi, the reception area is the first place that patients come to seek help. That’s where we do patient intake, where records are kept, and where Florence – nurse in-charge at Ariwa – greets her customers.
But in the past few months, the number of patients coming to Ariwa has skyrocketed. So there were certain things that needed some work. The floor needed sweeping, trash was collecting, the room was dark with ragged curtains, and the desk itself was a mess.
So on Day 94 we thought – we can do better.
In-charge nurse Florence has handled the rapid increase from three patients a week to over 40 – and she’s managing it all with a limited budget and same size staff. She spends the most time at the reception area.
So we purchased new pencils, pens, a clock, beautiful plants, and more tools to organize her files and papers. We gave the whole area a good scrubbing and bought brand new, nice curtains.
Someone who works as hard as Florence deserves a dignified place to sit. The improvement cost very little – less than $30 in all – but it will change the way Florence views her work completely.
“It looks like an office now,” said Florence. “This will give patients a very good impression, they will know that this is an organized place. It’s all very bright. This change is going to improve our lives.”
