Maternal Health Beyond Hospital Walls

Senegal Ouakam HospitalOne would think the process of delivering a baby would be a universal procedure, with physicians and nurses following the same steps for each patient. However, after traveling to Senegal, BWH’s Rebecca Luckett, MD, MPH, PGY3 resident in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, had the chance to experience firsthand the challenges associated with providing clinical care outside of the United States. In an effort to step outside of her American resident self, Luckett entered a place where she did not have every amenity and test at her fingertips, shifting her outlook and gaining a new perspective on the system in which she would be working.

During her time at the hospital in Senegal, Luckett found that despite the contrasts between clinical institutions, the human body and gynecologic pathology are relatively constant whether one is in Boston or Senegal. And it is important to recognize that global health is about more than just training clinicians, but also about the development, justice, infrastructure and access, which challenges those in the medical industry to take on more intricate tasks.

“Perhaps it is time for us to take on the more complex systems that affect the health of the populations we seek to improve,” said Luckett. “To make friends in other areas of development so that governments and societies can create a coordinated approach to improving health.”

Visit the Partners HealthCare Center of Expertise in Global and Humanitarian Health Travel Blog to read the full story.