Frontline doctors and nurses are confronting the harsh realities of COVID-19 daily, often with deep emotional impact. Irma van der Kall, an emergency department physician (ANIOS Emergency Aid), shared a moving diary excerpt on Facebook: "Now we're serious!"
Last weekend, RTL Nieuws highlighted urgent calls from doctors and police: "Please stay home!"
Irma's post includes this poignant reflection:
"The moment I park my car safely in my parking space at home and turn the key after a long hard shift, tears well up in my eyes. Tears of discharge, sadness and powerlessness in this time. The first Corona suspected patient I took care of in the emergency room has now, a few days later, died. That cuts in. Now it's serious."
A small excerpt from my diary as a young doctor in this crisis.
I want to appeal to you not to close your eyes to your responsibility. No more saying that it is only about old and weak people. Not going to organize parties, meetings or boot camps yourself now that they have been shut down by the government. Not every evening eating / having coffee / gaming with a different friend and thus still spread the virus and increase care pressure.
It's not about you or that one healthy strong tree of a guy friend of yours being able to handle that little virus. It is about keeping the speed of spread as low as possible so that we can provide the right care to everyone who needs it. So that we as care professionals can offer the Corona, but also the "ordinary" patients care they need. That beds in departments and ICUs remain available. That we have ventilators. That we have enough staff left. It's not about whether or not you sniff for two days. The point is that no people die because you thought your gains or social contact was more important.
So please, follow the guidelines of the RIVM; Avoid social contact. I understand that you are bored, the measures are incredibly violent, you prefer to be together. But please, these measures are there for a reason.
Love,
Irma, ANIOS Emergency Aid
Source: Facebook (Irma van der Kall), RTLnieuws.nl
