On my first full day in Northern Ireland, I was able to get the full Northern Irish healthcare experience - I visited Downe Hospital in Downpatrick as a patient!
Before I first arrived in Northern Ireland, I had come down with a fever and flu-like symptoms in New York. I visited my doctor and later a hospital in New York, and the hospital had diagnosed me as having the flu. I was cleared to travel and be around other people. Once I was in Northern Ireland, however, I became sicker - my lungs felt like they were full of fluid and I began coughing constantly - and I came down with a fever again! So, I decided that I had better get checked out at the hospital.
The director of the center, Tim, brought me to the hospital on a rainy Sunday morning. The hospital was much smaller than what I am used to in the United States, but I was very impressed by it. At first, I was really concerned about having to pay a hospital bill, but Tim reassured me that my healthcare would be fully covered. That's one of the most wonderful things about Northern Ireland and many other European countries - the health care is free and completely covered for each patient. Of course, the Northern Irish actually pay through their tax contributions. When you're really sick though, I'm sure it is nice to not have to worry about medical bills!
My wait was relatively short compared to the time one typically has to wait in a US hospital, and the doctor was very nice. I am on a course of antibiotics now so hopefully I will be better soon!
After the hospital, a staff member from the Saint Patrick Centre picked me up and brought me back to the centre. I caught up with the rest of the group and we viewed an exhibit on Saint Patrick. The exhibit was really amazing, and I think it was effective because it presented information in so many different ways. You could read about Saint Patrick, use a portable device to listen to stories about his life, and there were tons of videos, pictures and sculptures. It was truly an audio-visual experience! I had already known a lot about Saint Patrick's life, but the experience was still really enriching and added so many details to the knowledge that I already had. I could tell that the exhibit would be a phenomenal place for families, too - towards the end, there are several different computer games that guests can play. The games feature information about Saint Patrick, druid life, and much more.
After viewing the exhibit, we had a chat with Tim about the Saint Patrick Centre and its work. The centre does some great work informing the public about Saint Patrick and his work and in promoting tourism in Downpatrick, but I also learned that the centre does a lot more for the community. For example, in the past the centre has facilitated reconciliation programs. Currently, the centre's cafe employs adults who have disabilities. As someone who has worked with people with developmental disabilities and mental retardation in the states, I think it is a really wonderful program!
Tim was also very candid with us and let us know that the 2012 set of Young Ambassadors would be very important to the centre. Due to the current economic climate, the Saint Patrick Centre has been struggling to remain open and to continue to provide all of the services that it offers. I am hoping that myself and the other Young Ambassadors will be able to come up with a solution in order to help Tim and the Centre!
After our talk, we all went over to grab some fish and chip from a shop nearby. The term "chip" in the U.K. refers to french fries. While I think a lot of people in the U.S. are familiar with the term, it was interesting to know that the Northern Irish refer to an entire order of fries as a "chip" and not as "chips." When I've been to England in the past, it has always seemed like people call them chips (plural).
Our lunch was delicious! After lunch, we headed to the local grocery store to buy provisions for our house and then we headed home to rest. We lit a fire in our sitting room and relaxed for a bit after turning in for the evening.
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