It was a spring day in Virginia and Ob Hospitalist Group (OBHG) Site Director Dr. Wesley Hodgson was on shift when Afghan refugees began arriving at the hospital. Pregnant patients, patients who had recently delivered, and even a few that delivered en route to the United States all needed obstetric care.
As the safety net for labor and delivery, OBHG clinicians care for all patients who don’t have a doctor. When the refugees began arriving at the hospital, Dr. Hodgson immediately realized they’d gone 18-20 hours without eating because there was no option in the military system for Halal meals, which borders on a safety issue for pregnant women.
After meeting with one of the translators on Halal religious meals, Dr. Hodgson worked with hospital staff to put together a menu for the refugees within the day.
“We made it our priority that no matter what the person was there for, whether it was to find out if they were in labor, or just to get their blood pressure checked, to immediately start feeding the patients and anyone who was with them. This worked out well in the kitchen and everybody was super cooperative. And it seemed to be a very appreciated gesture.”
Another challenge was communicating with the refugees as there are many different Afghan languages. Watch Dr. Hodgson’s video account of this special story and learn how he delivered life-saving care.