MANILA, PHILIPPINES – A frontliner’s daily grind is different from most of ours. While the general populace is working from home, those protecting and supporting the public from COVID-19 are still bravely serving from their respective “forts”; in groceries, pharmacies, banks, and hospitals.
Medical professionals are even exposed to health risks to a greater degree. As they deal with the virus head-on, the thought of bringing the sickness to their loved ones at home and the occasional discrimination they experience in the day-to-day put even more weight in the responsibility that they carry. These thoughts frequently dwell in nurse Caye Yambao’s mind.
From an oncology ward charge nurse at a premier hospital in BGC, she was thrust into a most challenging role as a COVID-19 nurse in response to the growing number of cases in March.
“Shocking and challenging siya, hindi namin in-expect na sobrang dami pala ng may COVID, lalo na noong first wave na first hundred, first thousand cases pa lang sa Philippines. Nag-close yung unit namin, which is the cancer unit, and then nadisperse kami to add support sa COVID ward,” Caye recalls.
(It was shocking and challenging, we did not expect that there would be such a high number of COVID cases, especially during the first wave of the first hundred, first thousand cases in the Philippines. Our cancer unit was closed, and we had to be assigned to the COVID ward.)
As a charge nurse with a set schedule pre-COVID-19, Caye was used to having a proper routine and therefore more control over her work and life. But when COVID-19 hit, having a schedule sometimes meant knowing about it on the day itself. The halting of all modes of transportation for the public’s safety further added to Caye’s worries.
Three. That is the number of times that she had experienced walking from her home in Mandaluyong to work in BGC. The hospital later provided its staff with shuttles but Caye also had to hold on to precious sleep.
“Noong wala pang Grab, nagshushuttle ako pero it’s too early. Pasok ko is 6AM. Tapos yung shuttle pick-up is 4AM. Ako yung unang pini-pick up. Tapos, siyempre pagod ka sa duty, binabawi mo sa tulog. Kaya lang I need to wake up at 3 or 3:30 AM kasi kailangan nasa pick-up point na ako ng 4AM. Ako yung first na pini-pick up. Tapos iikutin namin yung buong Mandaluyong before makarating sa hospital at around 5:30 AM. Imagine mo yung one hour and a half na itinulog ko pa sana.”
(Before Grab became available, I rode the hospital shuttle but it came too early. My shift starts at 6AM and the shuttle pick up is at 4AM. Since I’m the first to be picked up, I have to wake up at 3:00 or 3:30AM to make it to the call time. We have to fetch everyone in Mandaluyong, so we arrive at the hospital at 5:30AM. That means I have an hour and a half of sleep to still enjoy if I opted not to join the shuttle. Duty during COVID is exhausting so sleep became even more essential.)
Describing sleep as “priceless” given the usual 12-hour shifts and the mental and emotional toll from her job, Caye chose to use Grab as soon as it resumed its services. More time for rest, on-demand rides that value safety GrabCar, in particular, allowed Caye to get additional hours of sleep since she could wake up later than when she had to ride the hospital shuttle.
Also, as a health professional, Caye values the sanitation and safety protocols she personally experienced when using GrabCar. She lauds the consistent and strict adherence of drivers to the face shield and face mask requirement, as well as the provision of alcohol and sanitizers and installation of acetate barriers between the driver and passenger’s section for additional safety.
“Some Grab drivers, they even offer to open the door and then sila din yung nag-sespray ng alcohol. Sobrang na-feel ko yung safety doon. Sobrang galing ng part na yun. Tapos nakikita ko na after ko sumakay, nag-sespray sila ulit doon sa car kaya feeling ko kahit maraming sumasakay na iba, safe pa rin. Yung act na yun, sobrang nakakapanatag,” Caye shares.
(Some Grab drivers even offer to open the door and spray the alcohol on my hands. I really felt their commitment to safety. I also noticed that after I leave, they spray the car another time to make it safe and hygienic for the succeeding passengers. Knowing and seeing those practices really provide assurance.)
The measures Caye witnessed are in line with GrabProtect, a set of initiatives and features by Grab that include an online health and hygiene checklist, a mask selfie verification tool, safety and hygiene certification, hygiene kits, and mandatory deep disinfection of vehicles all aimed at enforcing stricter and higher standards for safety and hygiene in local public transportation.
The initiative also introduced cashless payments to minimize hand-to-hand contact and the limiting of passengers per ride to two, in observance of national social distancing protocols. Saving lives, restoring smiles Caye admits that being a medical frontliner is difficult especially after hearing stories of discrimination from her peers. The instances were more frequent during the early days of the pandemic, but Caye recalls them with sadness and sympathy.
She recounts that nurses using the available public transportation were sprayed with alcohol and liquid disinfectant by other passengers due to public fear that they might be contagious with COVID. The public’s reaction led to nurses refraining from wearing their uniform outside the hospital in order to avoid such unfortunate episodes. However, Caye still affirms her passion for her chosen path by appreciating the knowledge she gained about the virus from her time spent at the COVID ward.
“The more na nakakaduty ako, mas extensive yung mga naging knowledge ko regarding the virus. Mas marami akong alam, mas alam ko yung mga treatment na dapat na gawin, para if ever may family ako na may symptom, alam ko ang gagawin ko.”
(As I spend more time around COVID, I also gain more knowledge about the virus. It gives me a better idea of what to do, what treatment could be effective, in case I have a family member who shows symptoms.)
She adds that handwashing is still our most formidable defense against the virus, aside from social distancing and the wearing of face masks and shields which have become mandatory. The support of Grab through its transport service and of her hospital staff and management through their psychosocial support, are sources of strength for Caye as she and the rest of the country continues to battle the virus and grapple with a new reality.
But what Caye treasures the most even during the most difficult days is the unique opportunity to save lives. “What keeps us going is a simple ‘thank you’ and seeing patients smile again after fighting COVID, especially yung mga critical cases. Nakaka-overwhelm. Yun ang nag-iinspire sa akin na magpatuloy sa work. I am proud to be a frontliner because I am able to save lives,” Caye proudly declares.
(What keeps us going is a simple ‘thank you’ and seeing patients smile again after fighting COVID, especially those who were critical cases. It makes me feel overwhelmed. Those are what inspire me to continue with my work. I am proud to be a frontliner because I am able to save lives.)
Working in the frontlines during a pandemic is a feat that frontliners accomplish with strength, resolve, and heroism every day. In acknowledgment and admiration of their selfless service, Grab commits to celebrate and support their work through car rides that are continually available, on-demand, time-efficient, comfortable, and safe.
