The good fight
Dr Kanan Shah
ANAESTHETIST, COVID INTUBATION ROSTER, WESTMEAD HOSPITAL
“I am a member of the Emergency Covid Anaesthesia Response Team at Westmead Hospital, which is a 24/7 onsite consultant anaesthetist-led service. We are directly involved in managing the airway of patients in respiratory distress due to confirmed or suspected Covid-19 throughout the hospital. I have the additional responsibility of ensuring my anaesthetic nurse and the theatre team are well protected and safe during intubation and extubation, which are known to generate aerosols that spread the virus.
“It has been at times exhausting both mentally and physically managing the anxiety associated with Covid-19, but also I feel extremely privileged and very grateful to be in a position where I can directly help and be involved.
“My biggest responsibility is to ensure my patients feel as comfortable and relaxed as they can be before undergoing any anaesthetic. Contrary to popular belief, we are with our patients for the duration of their surgery, closely monitoring their observations and ensuring they are appropriately anaesthetised and have enough pain relief on board. As anaesthetists, we are trained to lead a team and have excellent communication skills, which come in handy on a day-to-day basis, and also when managing a crisis.
“I have been keeping my distance from my family and I really miss seeing them and spending time with my friends. I miss being able to freely spend time outdoors, in the water, socialising and going to the gym. It’s all the little things that I probably took for granted pre-Covid. I find it difficult seeing people not sticking to social distancing rules, as it undermines all the changes we have made at the hospital to keep everyone safe.
“Everyone has definitely been trying to stay positive, and that’s the general vibe around the hospital. Obviously, we’re all dealing with stress, anxiety and uncertainty, however, I definitely feel that everyone is working together and doing their best to help stop the spread and to help keep everyone safe and protected.
“I feel for the small businesses that have been forced to shut down, the thousands of people who have lost their jobs, and also the vulnerable people who literally cannot leave their homes. It has also been really tough seeing what is happening elsewhere, and feeling so helpless, but it definitely makes me feel really lucky to live where we live.” As told to Alice Birrell €
Dr Nada Hamad
SENIOR STAFF SPECIALIST CLINICAL, TRANSPLANT AND LABORATORY HAEMATOLOGIST, ST VINCENT’S HOSPITAL
When Dr Nada Hamad, a staff specialist haematologist at Sydney’s St Vincent’s Hospital, heard rumblings of a pandemic, it was more than just gathering storm clouds. “It was so distressing
