𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐌𝐲 𝐒𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐁𝐚𝐜𝐤!!

𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐌𝐲 𝐒𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐁𝐚𝐜𝐤!!
Eleven years ago, I was a hopeful intern smiling, energetic, and eager. But over time, those smiles faded, replaced by the daily heartbreak of watching patients suffer in a failing health system.
I’ll never forget the night a barefoot mother rushed in, clutching her feverish, gasping son. Severe pneumonia. He needed oxygen, antibiotics, tests but the hospital had none. No oxygen. No meds. No lab support. She had no money. I had no choice.
I ran through wards begging. Found one oxygen cylinder in surgery begged again. Dragged it down. Paid for his meds. Paid for his labs. Not because I can afford, but because I had no choice.

He lived. She wept. I cried not from exhaustion, but from despair. Because saving a child shouldn’t demand such desperation.

The next day, no one asked. No one cared. Just another shift. Just another life nearly lost.
And I still ask: Why must we beg to do our jobs?
We’re not asking for luxury. Just the basics:
⚕️ Medications.
💡 Supplies.
🧍‍♂️ Fair pay.
🫱🏽‍🫲🏾 Dignity.
To all who shape policies and budgets: don’t wait until the healers are broken. The strength of any healthcare system lies in its people.
𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐮𝐬. 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐮𝐬. 𝐄𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐩 𝐮𝐬. 𝐏𝐚𝐲 𝐮𝐬 𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐫.
Somewhere out there, another intern is facing that same night. Let’s make sure they don’t have to do it alone.
✍🏽Dr. Segenet Bizuneh
Associate Professor of Internal Medicine
University of Gondar