Nurse: ‘Lighten our load and adhere to regulations’
Registered nurse, Noko Seema says he has been working for Netcare Pholoso for the past four years, and the Covid-19 pandemic only highlighted the need for more heathcare professionals in the province.
Seema has been working in the emergency department, dealing with, especially Covid-19 patients. “The work I am doing can be compared to that of a casualty nurse, I am responsible for receiving the patients and prepping them for the doctor. This is usually an effortless exercise, but with the pandemic the dynamics of the emergency department have changed drastically.”
Seema indicates that when the pandemic was first announced he did not anticipate it to reach the levels it has reached, with people dying daily. He was one of the people who thought it would not get to South Africa, let alone be responsible for the deaths of thousands.
“The first wave was manageable. Our resources were not under pressure and we were able to deal with it. The second wave was more chaotic and the hospital had to employee temporary workers in order to assist with the workload.”
Seema says the support from the management of the hospital has helped him deal with the lives they have lost due to Covid-19 complications, and the support from other staff members.
“I really wish people could see how devastating it is to lose a life, when all you had to do is wear a mask, sanitise and pracitse social distancing, it could have saved hundreds of lives. People need to realise the virus is real and at the hospital we physically fight it every day. All we are asking is for people to adhere to the regulations, this will lighten our load.”
Seema says Covid-19 has taught him to appreciate every little thing in life and take a few minutes each day to appreciate the small things.
