I Feel Lucky to be Here

(Again this was written a few days ago.)

Last night on the way home, I was listening to NPR (National Public Radio), and they were talking about the poor healthcare situation in Afghanistan. I don't recall the name of the city, but it has the highest maternal mortality rate. For every 15 babies born, one woman dies during labor.

They reported a case where the expectant mother was having difficulties during labor. The nearest hospital was 2 days of walking away. The husband and his friends put her on a carrier and started the journey on foot. She died on the way to the hospital.

The news report haunted me all night, and I still can't help thinking about the horrifying feeling. It was not just the physical pain she was experiencing (which was bad enough all by itself), but also the thoughts that was going through her mind. She must have known the chance of survival of either her unborn child or herself (or both) was slim. How would you bare the thought of your child (and yourself) dying and you couldn't do anything about it (and plus you were in excruciating pain)?

I really appreciate being in an environment where I have a doctor. We all complain about healthcare, and I complain about my doctors. But really, I am lucky to be here where I have a doctor to complain about.