–especially their fortitude in these trying times

IT was a particularly bitter-sweet moment to hear Matron Suzette August speak glowingly of the scores of young men and women under her charge, who, despite their initial apprehension about COVID-19, were able to rise to the occasion and get their jobs done.

The occasion was the celebration of International Nurses Day at the New Amsterdam Hospital on Tuesday, where the event was being observed with the release of a profusion of colourful balloons into the air over the township of New Amsterdam, seat of administration of the Ancient County of Berbice.

As Matron August would recall during the little ceremony to mark the occasion, following the initial outbreak of the coronavirus here, particularly after New Amsterdam recorded its first case, nurses attached to the health institutions in Region Six were so afraid that they often abstained from work, which resulted in the region having a high incidence of absenteeism among nurses.
“At the time, lots of staff were absent. We questioned them, and it turned out that it was because of the fear of COVID-19. But, we were able to reassure staff; there were educational sessions. We encouraged them to treat it as any other disease, which allows one to take precautionary measures,” said Matron August, who supervises the entire health sector across Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne).

She said that at one point, she even had to remind her charges to bring to fore the things they were taught in the classroom, many of which can also be duplicated at home.
“We treated it like any infectious disease: It is important that we have our Personal Protective Equipment PPEs; it is important that we sanitise surfaces, and wash our hands regularly, and maintain our social distances,” Matron August said.
“But what was most assuring, is the fact that there are no more positive cases in the region; the staff is a little more comfortable, and we do not have much problems with staff absenteeism,” she added.

Not to be outdone, Medical Superintendent Dr. Vanessa Henry thanked the nurses for having their patients best interest at heart at the end of the day, while Assistant Chief Executive Officer, Ms. Imogene Ferdinand expressed her gratitude to each member of staff for the care they lavished on their patients, which is what led to many of them recovering from whatever might have ailed them, whether COVID-19 or else.

Since 1965, the International Council of Nurses has been celebrating May 12 as International Nurses Day, as it is the birth anniversary of Florence Nightingale, who has long been regarded as the Founder of Modern-Day Nursing.
Each year, a week of activities are planned to mark the occasion, but due to the global pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus, a simple ceremony was held to recognise nurses, especially healthcare providers attached to the quarantine section in the region.
The team, along with others, were the recipients of care packages and hampers, which were made possible through the support of overseas-based nurses, Regional Health Services, Twins Pharmacy, as well as the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) amongst other agencies and organisations.