Commentary: Healthcare workers need more than just thank you notes from Singapore

SINGAPORE: As an lively septuagenarian, it's considerably sobering to know that just about 80 per cent of those that handed away within the final 28 days had been above 70 years previous, in accordance with Health Ministry knowledge.

Singapore reported seven more COVID-19 deaths on Tuesday (Oct 19), bringing the full virus loss of life toll to 246, in opposition to a depressing backdrop of accelerating variety of new instances and considerations about overwhelmed hospitals.

Challenges confronted by healthcare frontliners – lengthy working hours, manpower scarcity, institutional and structural points – are nothing new.

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But the extended combat in opposition to COVID-19 has undoubtedly added weight on their drained shoulders, although they soldier on by believing “this is what we train for” as Dr Melvin Chua of Sengkang General Hospital mentioned on CNA's Heart of the Matter podcast.

There’s a restrict to how a lot clapping from our home windows or posting thank you notes online can truly do, honest as we could also be.

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A health care provider mentioned as a lot in response to a latest social media marketing campaign, that whereas they're significantly appreciated, battered medical doctors and nurses can’t “eat thoughts and prayers” nor use them to spend time with family members or cut back the stress and toll on their very own well being.

Instead, they advocated coverage and institutional enhancements and more importantly, for a change in attitudes towards healthcare workers.