Letter of the Day | Hats off to the staff on UHWI’s COVID ward

THE EDITOR, Madam:

After being sick with high fever, diarrhoea, coughing and having low oxygen levels for six days, a decision was taken by my family to call an ambulance to take me to the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI). I was immediately put on oxygen in the ambulance. I had been tested for the coronavirus a few days before and the results were actually received while I was in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. The admittance process took a while so I spent some time in the ambulance still on oxygen. Once admitted, I was ‘prepped’ by the staff of doctors and nurses who were all professional, pleasant and kept me informed as to what was being done and what I could expect. I was finally taken to the COVID ward in the afternoon.

All of us in the ward were sick, of course, but some were in worse shape than others. We all, I am sure, were wondering if we would make it out of there. What I experienced over the next eight days from the staff at the UHWI is what this letter is about.

About 5:00 in the mornings, you would hear the cleaners coming into the ward with their noisy carts. They were thorough, meticulous and diligent in their work, and the bathrooms and floors were cleaned several times per day. The orderlies (those who did some of the heavy lifting) went about their work with great care and even a dash of humour.

The nurses were all very professional, helpful and informative and went about their work with great care and confidence, which was very reassuring, and so did the physiotherapists. The doctors and consultants were pleasant and professional, and explained what they were doing and what they were going to do next. They were also willing to answer my questions.

By about the second or third day, I was confident that I was in the hands of a very caring and competent hospital staff and felt blessed to be in my country and in the bosom of my own people. I was proud of the level of care being offered at UHWI and thought that as a Jamaican I wast blessed.

It is also of note that I could not identify a single member of staff in the COVID ward, they were all covered ‘from head to toe’ in protective gear (from their hair to their shoes). I could only see their eyes.

So here you have all these courageous people coming to work every day to fight a deadly virus they can’t see, and having to cover themselves in what I imagined is very uncomfortable garb. I guess they stay in this extra clothing for maybe three to four hours at a time, take a break and do another three to four-hour stint. All of this being done on my/our behalf.

These are brave, courageous, dedicated people who put themselves on the front line at great risk, and I can’t thank them enough. I also thought about the other support staff that made this level of care possible, such as the technicians who maintained equipment, those who prepared the meals, the pharmacists, those who tested one’s blood and other fluids, etc.

I have been released from hospital and in quarantine at home, happy to be a COVID survivor and feel heavily indebted to the exceptional staff of the UHWI.

N. MCDONALD