FRONTLINERS exhausted, but vow not to give up

By Azdee Amir - June 3, 2021 @ 9:10am

Drenched in sweat from head to toe, constantly standing, walking and running or sprinting during an emergency, frontliners continue to brave the odds attending to the increasing number of Covid-19 patients at hospitals nationwide.

The situation is especially harrowing at Kuala Lumpur Hospital, one of the many health facilities striving to do the utmost for those in their care.

One of the doctors at the recently added Covid-19 ward, who wished to be known only as Dr Alfred, in his mid-30s, looked visibly drained and exhausted, during his break.

But after a shower, a change of clothes and a short break, he was already preparing himself both mentally and physically to return to his job.

"The alarming spike in positive cases necessitated the opening of this additional ward to cope with the increasing number of patients.

"We were told on Friday (May 28) that we needed to open an additional ward and the very next day, we were already receiving and treating patients. And now, this additional ward is almost at full capacity.

"Caring for Covid-19 patients is no joke. It requires strict adherence to the SOP (standard operating procedures) and additional safety measures because of the highly infectious nature of the virus.

"The ward is sealed off from the outside world and the only human contact patients have is with us, the doctors and nurses, who care for them round the clock.

"All of us have to don PPE (personal protective equipment) suits and gear correctly before we go into the ward to treat and care for the patients.

"When a patient's condition worsens without warning, it is a race against time to do all we can to save him.

"Apart from administering the best possible healthcare, we also do our best to keep the patients motivated and positive despite their predicament.

"This is a vital part of the battle to recover, being determined to regain good health and having the will to carry on.

"The patients' only connection to the outside world is their smartphones, and thankfully they are able to communicate with their families and loved ones regularly.

"This helps to put them in good spirits," he said in an interview with the New Straits Times, yesterday.

Head nurse Noor Jamaliah Zulkapli, 44, who manages the new ward, stressed that despite the public healthcare system being in a critical state, they were not about to give up.

"Yes, we are very exhausted, and even short-handed because of the many patients, but we are professional healthcare providers. Therefore, we improvise and soldier on.

"The opening of this new ward is a good example of the great lengths that we are willing to go as we literally set up this ward overnight.

"Because we are dealing with a deadly, highly infectious virus, I made careful selection of the nurses to serve in this ward. They must be healthy, resilient, young and energetic, and with a positive outlook," she said.

"They need those qualities to cope with the different and demanding situation.

"Thankfully, the hospital administrators managed to rope in healthcare personnel from other hospitals almost overnight. This has addressed the shortage of manpower.

"We've got more than two dozen doctors and nurses who work round the clock over three seven-hour shifts to care for the patients in this ward alone."

Dr Alfred, Noor Jamaliah and the rest of the medical personnel at the ward shared their hope that fellow Malaysians remained responsible and disciplined during the Movement Control Order.

They also appealed to the public to adhere to the SOP and other movement restrictions so that the chain of infection could be broken and the daily infection and death numbers brought down.

"We need everyone to cooperate. We're doing our part, so please do yours. Remember, #KitaJagaKita," said Noor Jamaliah.