A day in the life of an emergency responder in the time of COVID-19

Being an emergency responder in this time of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is no easy feat.

In an episode of "Frontliners: A Brigada Special Online Series,” the GMA Public Affairs team spent a day with some of the brave souls who spend their days on an ambulance, saving people's lives.

Here we meet Dennis Saneo, head of the Roxas City Emergency Response Team (EMT) in Capiz.

Dennis is up at 6 a.m. daily to report for work at 7 a.m. He doesn't get to take off his personal protective equipment (PPE) until 7 p.m.

“When COVID-19 symptoms are present, we are the ones in charge to get them from their room, transport to the hospital, then if they will be diagnosed positive, we are also the ones who will bring them to the hospital,” he said.

Dennis is a father, but he’s also a frontliner who knows the perils of his job.

“As normal (people) po, natatakot tayo. May posibilidad na mahawa kami kasi kami yung palaging may direct contact doon sa mga pasyente natin, but bakit hindi kami natinag as being your frontliner? Kasi ito ang sinumpaan natin,” he said.

Apart from missing his family everyday, he also deals with the despair of having to take possible COVID-19 patients away from their families.

“Sometimes parang manghihina ka, makikita mo yung sadness ng family, makikita mo na ang pasyente kukunin natin sa bahay na mag-isa. dadalhin sa ospital, hindi madadadalaw ng pamilya nila,” Saneo says.

“On our part, the time na maisakay natin sa ambulansiya sinasabihan din natin na ‘lakas loob lang’ and then ‘malalampasan natin ‘to’.”

So, before going into the battlefield, the EMTs start the day with a prayer.

“We always pray for the guidance of our Almighty na hindi mahawa at marami pa kaming maserbisyuhan,” he shared.

“Ang buhay namin as frontliner para din sundalo na nakikipaglaban. Ang problema lang ngayon,hindi natin nakikita ‘yung kalaban,” he added.

As of April 8, 252 healthcare workers in the Philippines have been infected with COVID-19, the Department of Health said.

Of this number, 152 are doctors while 63 are nurses.

The country has recorded 4,932 infections, 315 deaths, and 242 recoveries as of Monday.

—Margaret Claire Layug/JCB, GMA News