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Raffy Tima was able to interview Emergency Medicine Physician Dr. Sally Mae Abelanes who provided us a clearer picture of how doctors and other medical frontliners are handling the COVID-19 outbreak in an emergency room.

Raffy Tima was able to interview Emergency Medicine Physician Dr. Sally Mae Abelanes who provided us a clearer picture of how doctors and other medical frontliners are handling the COVID-19 outbreak in an emergency room.

Dr. Abelanes admitted that she and her fellow medical practitioners have cried about the current state of hospitals and patients affected by the new coronavirus outbreak.

She also related how their families have grown concern about the risks of their profession especially that personal protective equipment and other medical supplies have become scarce.

Dr. Abelanes said, “Natatakot din of course 'yung families naming kung itutuloy namin ito or hindi.

"Personally, my parents also have been telling me that I can stop and then I shouldn't continue on anymore. Pero sabi ko, if I don't continue then who's gonna do it?

"So majority of the nurses… we also have that mindset and alam namin kung isa o dalawa sa amin umalis, susunud-sunod na kasi eh. So kung aalis kaming lahat, sino 'yung maiiwan?”

The doctor also drew attention to the increase of fatalities due to COVID-19 and how they're trying their best to still give their dying patients a decent death.

She claimed, “We are used to death, we see a lot of deaths in the ER but not this much na every single day na lang, almost every single day someone will die.”

She also added, “Ilalapit naming 'yung walkie talkie to the patient's ear para makapagsabi 'yung family ng last words nila to their loved ones.

"But it's really a sad death because everyone's alone and in isolation. They can't even see their family for the last time."

While they still soldier on despite the dangers and fears brought about by the infectious disease, Dr. Abelanes also called on for help.

“The medical health, we're actually not frontliners, we're the last line of defense.

"Because the first tline is the people themselves, and then security issues, food issues. If you settle these, hindi sila lalabas, mako-contain, mas mako-contain 'yung infection tapos ang madadala na lang sa hospital 'yun talagang kailangan,” she stated.

Watch Raffy's full interview here:

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