A paramedic has painted a stark picture of what it’s like to work during Sydney’s worsening COVID-19 outbreak after NSW recorded a massive 1,290 local cases and four deaths overnight.
Intensive care paramedic Joe Ibrahim was the latest healthcare worker to make a cameo at the daily NSW coronavirus press conference on Monday. What he shared was eye-opening.
“Our role as paramedics is physically and mentally demanding,” he said.
“One of the most physical demanding things we do is perform CPR. In the current climate, we need to perform CPR in full PPE.
“To give you an understanding of what that is like, we are wrapped up in a plastic gown that is not breathable, we have a fitted mask that digs into our skin to to ensure that the virus does not get into our lung, and we have glasses and gloves on.
“We wear this for the majority of our 12 hour shift and it takes its toll.”
NSW recorded 1,290 new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 in the 24 hours to 8pm last night. pic.twitter.com/OSuM8LS7o4
— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) August 30, 2021
He then described the emotional toll of working on the front line during a global pandemic.
Paramedics do more than just revive or transport people – they provide a human touch during a time of crisis.
“Paramedics are compassionate by nature, that is what draws to the job,” Ibrahim said.
“I would like to share a case I recently attended to in Western Sydney. I was called to backup a crew that was with a single mother with her teenage son and daughter in the house, and she was deteriorating.
“When I got there, I integrated with the team and I provided her time-critical treatment but while doing so, her son made a comment to me and that comment was: ‘I think this is my fault. I think I have given mum COVID.’
“That stopped me and my team in our tracks and absolutely broke our hearts.”
These anecdotes should serve to remind you just how serious this virus us, but don’t let it put you off calling an ambulance.
In fact, health authorities have literally been telling us to call an ambulance if we feel we need it, in order to stop people from dying at home.
The takeaway here is to get vaccinated and stay home as much as possible.
“I have been privileged and honoured to work in the community in drought, catastrophic bushfires and in floods and in those times, every time in my experience, the people of NSW come together, they turn up, they help each other, they help themselves and they help us as frontline workers,” Ibrahim said.
“Now, we are calling on you again. We need your help. The way to fight this virus is to get vaccinated.”
All adult Aussies (yep, even if those of us under 40) are currently able to get vaccinated. Click here to see which clinics are offering it, and talk to a doctor for more info.
The best vaccine is the first one you can get, and that’ll be our ticket out of this mess.
