Portraits of medical frontliners
Our frontliners have gone above and beyond ever since COVID-19 hit Malaysia. They’ve had to navigate dangerous pathways to access a remote village, battle exhaustion and burnout when hospitals reached full capacity in Sabah, and personally carry elderly patients to get tested. The tasks are made all the more challenging as they have to wear full personal protective equipment (PPE) gear, and deal with being drenched in sweat when carrying out their duties for long periods of time.
Doctors’ Facebook group share compelling portraits of frontliners
A Facebook group called Docs On Vacay recently shared a number of compelling portraits of medical frontliners taken right after they’ve removed their PPE gear. The album was posted with a caption detailing how the frontliners on duty at Kompleks Masyarakat Penyayang, Penang, were soaked in sweat and chafed with fresh markings from the N95 masks that they’ve had to wear the entire day.
Image credit: Docs On Vacay
The caption attempts to rally its reader, as the group that posted the photos said, “Behind these faces, whether [they are] brooding or showing [a] strong front, are glimmers of hope. We want the best for our nation. We will win this war.” The “war” in the post likely refers to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Image credit: Docs On Vacay
Doctor sheds light on nurses’ duties in COVID-19 ward
In a separate post dating back to late-October, Doctor Iise Chew shed light on what nurses have to go through when tending to COVID-19 patients.
He wrote that nurses have to check on high-risk patients every 4 hours, to record their temperature, blood pressure, and the like, in addition to bringing them meals and assisting them out of bed, if needed.
And every time they need to do the above, they would have to put on their full PPE, then take it all out, and go for a shower – repeatedly throughout the day.
Image credit: Docs On Vacay
Dr Chew also added that wearing PPE leaves one dehydrated, presumably because wearing multiple layers in our humid climate makes one perspire a lot, as evident from the large patches of sweat stains on the medical frontliners’ scrubs.
Image credit: Docs On Vacay
At the end of his post, he reminded that we have to do our part in whatever roles we have and be united as a nation to battle the virus.
Personal account of frontliners reveal their difficult nature of work
Stories of demanding challenges faced by frontliners frequently surface on social media, especially more so now, given how our figures are still surpassing the 1,000 mark every day.
Like what Dr Chew said, we need to be responsible in playing our roles and working together. And we can do so by going out only when absolutely necessary, following SOPs, and practising good personal hygiene habits at all times. Only when we can get the pandemic under control, can our frontliners get the rest they deserve soon.
Read on for more COVID-related news:
- Polis Bantuan KTMB patrol with temperature screening helmets
- 9-year-old girl sews PPE for frontliners
- Photographers offer photoshoots for just RM1,000, all proceeds go to COVID-19 frontliners
- 6 Malaysian-made COVID-19 innovations
Cover image adapted from: Docs On Vacay and Docs On Vacay