“You can lose everything without the vaccine,” says Madalina Dutu, a 28-year-old nurse working in one of Romania’s largest COVID-19 hospitals, who pleads for people to go and get their COVID-19 vaccine if offered one.
“I work in orthopaedics and I am often in the COVID-19 ward, caring for patients with severe COVID-19 infection and trauma. The world needs to know about the suffering I have witnessed, the look of pain and fear in my patients’ eyes,” Madalina says. “What saddens me the most is that many of these patients are unvaccinated. If they’d had their vaccine, they probably wouldn’t be here.”
On 12 December, WHO marks Universal Health Coverage Day with a call to protect and invest in health-care workers such as Madalina, recognizing their sacrifices and contributions during this unprecedented pandemic. Their work, day and night, is at the heart of the universal health coverage agenda, making sure that everyone receives the care they need.
With compassion and dedication, health workers have stood by and continue to stand by the most vulnerable. But they also face difficult situations that test their resilience and fortitude, such as treating unvaccinated COVID-19 patients.
“Many of the patients I see in intensive care are those who refused to get their COVID-19 vaccine,” Madalina says. “And this saddens me, because their suffering could have been easily prevented.”
“I see them with tears in their eyes, scared and helpless. Sometimes they are very, very agitated,” Madalina shares. “And I see gratitude in their eyes when we place an oxygen mask on them, so they can breathe better.”
Sharing advice on vaccines
Romania has recently been through a sudden and severe spike in COVID-19 infections. While there are many factors behind the rise in cases, a lower vaccine uptake is certainly one of them.
Many countries in the WHO European Region, including Romania, are now rolling out their booster programmes. WHO continues to advise countries to engage with people who have not received their first doses.
Madalina says her parents were among those who did not want to get vaccinated. “But I explained to them why it’s so important to be protected,” she says. “My mum remained sceptical until she started seeing cases go up and me coming home exhausted and devastated.”
And just like she did with her parents, she shares the same advice with everyone who asks her:
“Please get vaccinated if you can, this is for the good of all of us, especially the most vulnerable”.
Resilience in challenging times
The year 2021 was designated by WHO as the International Year of Health and Care
Workers, and WHO/Europe has called on governments to better protect the mental well-being of health workers.
As Madalina says, working long hours and caring for critically ill patients can take a serious toll on someone’s mental health.
“Even after I go home, my mind stays at the hospital. This is not a regular job, you have to be very involved when you’re on your shift, because this is about people and you have to be there 100%,” she says.
“I don’t need thanks or praise. For me it’s enough when a patient looks into my eyes. Then I know I was able to make a difference.”
“All I am asking is for people to get vaccinated, to keep fighting and keep being careful so that we can soon leave this pandemic behind us.”
"This article was amended on 22 December 2021 because an earlier version incorrectly referred to Ms Madalina Dutu as a doctor, while she is in fact a medical nurse."