Why healthcare workers keep going in a crisis

Those privileged enough to have access to private healthcare simply walk in, wave their medical aid cards and expect to be treated by them immediately.

Those less fortunate, often frustrated by the long queues and inadequate resources at public facilities, sometimes lash out at them for the system’s shortcomings.

Now, however, while in the midst of a pandemic unlike anything the modern age has yet seen, we are all equal and whether public or private, our healthcare workers are the frontline of the war.

And while they had already been overworked before the pandemic, things are most likely to get worse for nurses, doctors, porters and cleaners at all hospitals, if the situation in other countries is anything to go by.

So why do they keep going?

Well, according to most, it is a single-minded drive to do what is right for their patients, even at the expense of their own health.

Simon Hlungwane, president of healthcare workers union Denosa, believes the fear takes a back seat to knowing that their work will save lives.

He also emphasises the need for governments and citizens to realise the “importance of a strong healthcare system that could be prepared especially for infectious diseases like this, so that health workers and patients are not exposed to risks at the healthcare facilities”.

One doctor, who works in the casualty unit of a Johannesburg private hospital, described her motivation to keep going, saying: “The reason we joined this profession is to help people and make a difference. By continuing to work through the pandemic, we are simply doing what we signed up for and get our communities through this.”

This is a common refrain.

After devoting seven years of their lives to medical school, three years to internship and community service, and for some, another five to 10 years to become a specialist, many doctors simply don’t know how to not immerse themselves into caring for others.

“As healthcare workers, our immune systems take a beating due to the long hours we work. I’m often in physical pain but we simply block that out and while you’re busy, you’re not thinking about yourself.

“I’m also kept going by knowing I am doing my little bit, despite there being no cure to this virus, the least we can do is make someone’s life a little more comfortable.”

She had already treated at least one positive case of Covid-19, as well as several who suspected they might have it, and while there had been adequate protection at the time, she worries, just like the rest of her colleagues, that this won’t be the case for much longer.

Doctors across the country have complained in recent weeks of a shortage of N95 and surgical masks, as well as, in some cases, gloves.

“Sometimes when there aren’t enough PPEs (personal protection equipment) and we’re forced to continue working, the fear remains. We just have to keep going though, because if we’re not there, who will help them?

“We’re running out of PPEs because the public is abusing them and suppliers are marking up their prices to absurd levels. Eventually something will have to give.”

And despite her own health being at risk, she describes her biggest fear as not only catching the virus, but spreading it to others.

“I’m terrified of getting infected and bringing that home to my husband and family. I also fear cross-contamination, because I’m not always in casualty, but also work in a ward. I’m exposed to so many patients and I don’t want to be the person who infects someone else and they die. That would make me feel like a murderer.”

Another fear, expressed by one of her colleagues is the fear of having a patient die, due to a lack of resources.

“Nobody wants a patient to die. Even if you don’t know them personally, you are the person standing between them and the grave, and being unable to do your job is terrifying.”

Another young doctor working in a public healthcare facility said the one positive aspect of the pandemic was the focus it has placed on proper sanitation.

“I hope after this is all over, we don’t go back to square one. Let’s continue spreading the message of good hygiene, good sanitation, and proper cough etiquette.

“And let’s hope people also learn from this and we can all stop being so selfish. Learn that you are not the most important person in a room. When you walk into a hospital, respect the staff, respect the triage process and understand that there are people who might come in after you, but need help more urgently. Sometimes this happens and if this infection can teach us one thing, it is to be considerate of others.”

On a Facebook group where doctors discuss the response to the pandemic, at least one had some misgivings about continuing to work without protective gear, but he believes even if the fear overcomes the desire to continue working, doctors still have a role to play.

“Each one of you, and all our colleagues, took at least 15 years of training or more to be here. You cannot be replaced in less time. Each of you is a precious resource that will be used, even if you have to take 14 days off to get better at some point. The help that you offer is maximised by the number of people you can help,” he wrote.

“To walk away because no N95 mask is available, is not leaving the fight, it is not running away. You are not a coward. You are simply saying: ‘I cannot protect myself in an aerosol generating procedure’. You will still be able to offer help, consolation or palliation to other sick people that receive non-aerosol generating procedures or treatments’.”

– news@citizen.co.za

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