This week we have been learning about media and health within Ecuador. We took a trip to the Unsion TV Studio. It was interesting to see that the TV studios in Ecuador are similar to the United States. They were filming a live cooking show when we were there, so we got to watch how they film and produce live TV. All the live sections are filmed in one room. There are different backgrounds for each section, and when they are not used they are covered with a black curtain. We also had a tour of the control center and offices, which reminded me of TV and media centers in the U.S.
We made a visit to a local hospital. The hospital was mainly for delivering babies and emergency room visits. They showed us a delivery room, and it was very different from what you would see in America. The room had no windows and had two beds in it. There were bars on the wall that were for holding on to when delivering the baby. The mother would stand on the bed and hold the bars, while the family would be in the room watching her deliver the baby. There were also a few other positions they showed us for the mother. I was feeling a little uncomfortable (okay more than uncomfortable) when they were explaining this. There is no way I would want my entire family watching me deliver a baby, especially in those particular positions.
I thought it was interesting how in this hospital all the medication is free for the patients. They have a pharmacy within the hospital that gives the patients their prescription. The hospital is government funded so it is possible to do this. In Ecuador, they look at health care as more of a right rather than a privilege. In the United States we are making progress towards this with Obamacare, but right now health care in America is seen more as a privilege.
It was interesting to see how similar the media world is between Ecuador and the United states, but how different the health care program is between the countries. It made me appreciate how advanced our hospitals are, but also made me realize our different views on health care.
