Our Frontline Worker of the Week is… Nurse Aaisha Akbar-Mohamed
“For me, the most beneficial thing as a nurse is having contact with my patients; let them feel the love and let them know that someone is there to help them. ”
By Romario Blair
Dedicated to the profession.
Since the confirmation of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Guyana, health workers in Region Two (Pomeroon / Supenaam) have been doing an exceptional job of spreading it. Region Two has accounted for just over 230 of the 8,000 plus cases recorded nationally.
Nurse Aaisha Akbar-Mohamed is among the outstanding frontline workers in Cinderella County, commonly known as the Essequibo Coast, who have been battling COVID-19. Nurse Akbar-Mohamed, 23, is currently attached to the Quarantine Department at Suddie Public Hospital and has, in fact, spent half of her new career battling the pandemic.
She told Kaieteur News, during a recent interview, that she graduated from Georgetown School of Nursing in 2019; just a year before the pandemic. He explained that before COVID-19; she was attached to the Male Medical Ward and Surgical Block, where she was given the task of tending to patients awaiting surgery.
Reflecting on the start of her career, Nurse Akbar-Mohamed said, “When I graduated from Georgetown School of Nursing, I worked for a year at Georgetown Public Hospital, where I worked in the Male Ward assisting patients with urinary problems and fractures. injuries. ”
On February 3, 2020, a month before Guyana recorded its first COVID-19 outbreak, Nurse Akbar-Mohamed was transferred to Suddie Public Hospital on the Essequibo Coast.
Ready to kill some COVID-19 virus.
Sharing a moment with her colleagues.
According to the young nurse, a month after her transfer, her Matron approached her and asked if she would be willing to volunteer in the COVID-19 Quarantine Department.
Although initially reacting with concern, she accepted the challenge wholeheartedly. “I was a bit scared because like most, if not all, of my colleagues, I hardly knew anything about the coronavirus, other than how dangerous it actually is. But despite that, I said to myself, God is in charge and I agreed to volunteer. ”
At that time, Nurse Akbar-Mohamed lived with her parents, Mohamed Asif Akbar and Aasiya Akbar, who said they were skeptical of learning about her decision to work in the Quarantine Department.
With her loving husband, Omar Mohamed.
She laughed as she remembered, “My parents were very scared; they asked me why I wanted to work in such an infectious area. But I had to explain to them and try to get them to show empathy with people. I said, ‘Mum and dad, I have to do it, if you were in my patients’ situation, would you like to go there and there is no one there to assist you?’ ”
Nurse Akbar-Mohamed said she felt quite fortunate that both of her parents “eventually got around.”
A dream hatching of personal experience
Undoubtedly, most of us will have our own reasons and experiences that informed and shaped our career choice. For Nurse Akbar-Mohamed, her desire to be a nurse was set on fire for the first time when she was just 13 years old. He explained, “I wanted to become a nurse because when I was on form two I was really sick, and I had to have surgery and the way the nurses and doctors treated me, it was far outside beyond what I expected. That motivated me to give back to society and to my community at large just as those doctors and nurses did for me. ”
Nurse Akbar-Mohamed, an Essequibian native, attended CV Nunes Primary School in Anna Regina before moving on to Anna Regina High School to complete her secondary education. Armed with eight CSEC passes in 2015, she enrolled at Georgetown School of Nursing in her quest to bring her dream to life. She completed her training in 2018. But while it was not a walk in the park, the necessary support was always available, Nurse Akbar-Mohamed revealed. According to her, “My challenge was the main fact of being far away from my parents, and I had to stay in the hostel throughout my years. But I was supported by my parents and some of my relatives who gave me all my textbooks that contributed to my success. ”
In 2018, the same year she completed her nursing studies, Nurse Akbar-Mohamed received the wedding invitation of her boyfriend, Omar Mohamed. The two tied the wedding tie and moved to Reliance on the Essequibo Coast.
A typical day on the front line
Sharing details of frontline duties, Nurse Akbar-Mohamed explained that the atmosphere can be tense and sad from time to time. This is especially the case when she is witnessing families torn apart by the pandemic. “Many of our patients would become very emotional and cry because they had to be away from their families in an isolated area. Sometimes some of them even say things like ‘I don’t have COVID-19’. And as a nurse we not only have to administer medicine for physical health, but we also have to treat our patient’s mental well-being. So at times we have to sit down and talk to them and encourage them so they can heal faster. “
The hospital quarantine area holds suspected patients with the disease. Nurse Akbar-Mohamed said it is essential to exercise precautionary measures, as all suspected cases may be positive. “I always carry out my precautionary measures, especially when removing my PPEs. Even when I go home, I take my bath, use my Dettol soap and bathe head to toe, “said Nurse Akbar-Mohamed.
Challenges on the front line
Nurse Akbar-Mohamed went on to explain that there are many challenges at the front line. These, he said, can range from dealing with a patient’s mental and physical health, to dealing with patients’ family members.
“We must encourage our patients and build their mental health. That can be a little tiring at times because we have to do this continuously, until the patients can return to a state of normality. Then we have to deal with some relatives who sometimes want to fight the nurses saying ‘why do you have our relatives, they have no COVID’. ”
Nurse Akbar-Mohamed pointed out, however, that teamwork plays a vital role in overcoming all challenges in the quarantine area.
The fighting is not over yet
Guyana recently received its first batch of COVID-19 vaccines and the vaccination process has begun. Nurse Akbar-Mohamed was among the healthcare workers who have received an initial injection and she has been encouraging members of the public to take them when the time comes.
“There was a slight side effect after the shot. I had a little fever and a headache, but the side effects of the vaccine eventually disappeared, ”she said, even as she confidently asserted,“ taking the vaccine is beneficial because it helps to protect you, your family and friends. Although there can be side effects, it only lasts for a short time. Once the body adjusts to it, headaches, fever and cold will all disappear, ”assured Nurse Akbar-Mohamed.
He also highlighted that people should not view vaccination as an excuse to be negligent, pointing out that, “The vaccine is there to protect it yes, but it does not give you immunity against the virus from length, so you must use your necessary precautionary measures such as wearing your masks and sanitizing. ”
As she fully embraced her career, Nurse Akbar-Mohamed suggested, “for me the most beneficial thing as a nurse is having contact with my patients; let them feel the love and let them know that someone is there to help them. ”
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