Used clothing to hospitals must be discouraged
Last week, on July 2, the Daily Graphic published the story of an organisation that presented used clothing, among other items, to the Children’s Block of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital.
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The donors were apparently celebrating their 10th anniversary and as part of the activities for the anniversary, the items were reportedly donated to “show the company’s appreciation to the society for supporting its activities”.
During the presentation ceremony, the Managing Director of the Company said, “We operate in the vicinity of Korle Bu and we couldn’t have had this important celebration without thinking of a hospital which is close to us and of the children there in particular”.
Giving is good and indeed a blessing, especially, if it is to be linked to an important milestone of the giver and therefore, something to be remembered.
In these days of living on donor support most of the time, giving in aid of the work of a premier hospital such as Korle-Bu for the benefit of invalid children is even more pleasing to God.
However, when that which is given turns out to be inappropriate, the good intentions of the donor gets lost.
How can anyone donate used clothing for use by children on admission in a hospital? We may be poor as a country but giving must be meaningful to add value to the receiver’s needs, should the donor select a hospital for his or her good gesture.
Used clothing is not useful to a hospital in any way and should not be encouraged in the first place.
Under normal circumstances, patients on admission should look good in hospital gowns or their own gowns brought clean from home.
Admittedly, used equipment and machinery may benefit a hospital but I will struggle to see the benefits of used clothing. In the first place, the sick children in the hospital may be undergoing treatment for various kinds of diseases including infections. Did we know the source of the used clothing Korle-Bu received on that day?
No matter how many gallons of disinfectant and detergents one would use in washing the used clothing, such donations should not be considered for hospitals and expect them for the use of patients on admission.
Wards in children’s hospitals are supposed to be kept spanking clean and every source of infection removed due to the susceptibility of children to infections. Why would we want to bring in clothing that have been used and from unknown sources to clothe our sick children?
Usually, the surroundings of sick children are often kept bright and lively at all times, I guess as a psychological aid to healing.
I have twice been to the Children’s Ward of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in very recent times, the last visit being just a couple of months ago. Though the place is crowded for liking and a bit noisy with parents shuffling up and down the crowded spaces, some organisation is trying to get the ward to look colourful.
I thought that was good to the eyes and for the psychological healing of the helpless children on admission, and they really look helpless seeing some of them lying there.
Assuming donors give to hospitals so their giving would make meaning to the sick, then that is what Public Relations is about. PR is a scientific way of communicating and making impact and therefore its pros and cons are always thought through before a donation is made. If that communication is wrong, the intention goes across negative.
What the hospital authorities should be doing, particularly when it comes to the physical and emotional needs of the children on admission, is to keep records of what their needs are and make such needs available to donors who want to help.
In that same vein, it is meaningful for donors to also confer with the hospitals to understand their pressing needs and tailor their donations or assistance to such needs.
A children’s hospital will undoubtedly do well with colourful paintings, bright curtains, brighter walls, beautiful beddings and bright ward gowns for example. They do not need used clothing in any way.
Poverty has unfortunately driven us to the extent of accepting anything for as long as they come as freebies. It is acknowledged that even our premier hospital, Korle Bu, has a myriad of needs.
However, the saying that a beggar has no choice should never apply to our hospitals. We should not be “dumping” anything and everything there thinking we are doing the hospital some favour. The healing and well-being of patients are what should drive any donation.
If used clothing should be given out at all for PR purposes, then they probably would be meaningful in places such as the orphanages and the leprosarium. Certainly we do not need them in a hospital ward where money is already being committed to fight infections both from within and from outside.
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