Philippines: Responding to the call of duty

Lariza Francia is a nurse who volunteered to serve on a COVID-19 coordinating task force at the Philippine General Hospital in Manila. “An important lesson learned by task force volunteers is that all people, no matter who we are and what we do, have a role to play in building a supportive environment for our frontliners, partners and leaders fighting COVID-19,” she said.

She noted that role of nurses in pandemic response is essentially the same as in other health care situations: to manage the patients’ care with excellence and compassion. “This includes providing hope, especially to patients who are afraid and anxious, and who haven’t seen their families for many days,” Francia said.

Responding to the call of duty during an infectious disease outbreak poses risks to the nurse’s life and that of her family.  “I know nurses who had been crying in fear of being assigned to COVID-positive patients,” Francia said. “But despite this, when called they would report for duty at the COVID unit, don their PPEs, and get down to work without having any meal or bathroom break for the whole length of their shift.”

The provision of adequate resources, psychosocial support, and clear guidelines and protocols on how to manage the disease and protect health care workers will be crucial in helping health systems respond to future emergencies, she added.

“COVID-19 has stripped away layers of our lives to reveal what is truly important,” Francia said. “A genuine desire to be of service is driving health care workers to move forward despite their fears. By doing this, they give hope to the world that there will be continuity of life and healing.”