The Hospital in the Rock was high on Mitch’s list of things to see. It advised it wasn’t suitable for children under twelve, they even questioned us letting Hattie enter, but we’ve never shielded our kids from the hard topics. And she really did okay…she and I both happily passed on the nuclear bomb exhibit.
The hospital was operating at two different times. The first time it opened was during WWII. It was then opened again in June 1956 when Hungary was invaded by the Russians (Soviets). It was designed to hold 60 patients but at times held up to 250. There were too many patients and not enough nurses so nursing students were brought in to assist. They shared statistics on the number of deaths and having to reuse supplies, specifically bandages that they would remove from the dead for new patients. It was a bit much. They also talked about the air circulation and how since it was built into the side of a mountain ventilation wasn’t good, and a lot of people smoked. I can’t even imagine. The museum closed with the story of Sadoko Sasaki a patient from Japan that does of radiation poisoning and her 1000 paper cranes. I remember her story from my days in elementary school. I think it made a lasting impact on the girls.
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