This is a report from a hospital in Ethiopia, the only hospital for a tribe of about 1 million people. With a capacity of 50 beds, about 3,000 in patients per annum plus outpatient department and 5 outposts of about 70,000 patients per annum. Considering the variety of severe and complicated cases in any field of medicine (obstetrics, major and minor surgery, internal medicine dealing with tropical, infectious, helminthic and ophthalmic diseases, etc.), a female staff of 2 physicians, 1 pharmacist, 1 laboratory assistant and a total of 6 nurse-midwives is completely insufficient. None of the more than 50 native employees is in possession of a nursing diploma as a result of poor school education. In therapy, penicillin still plays the role of a miracle drug.