‘Hand of God’ brings comfort to patients amid lonely struggle vs COVID-19

The “Hand of God” or two gloves filled with warm water and put around COVID-19 patients’ hands helps them feel at ease amid their battle against the virus.

Alexander Merabel, a nursing attendant, said that he’s been using this strategy to help his patients who have been facing the disease alone while quarantined.

“I noticed that our patients are irritated, silent, and stressed,” he told Aubrey Carampel in Sunday’s “24 Oras Weekend” report in Filipino.

Merabel got the idea from Brazilian nurse Lidiane Melo who first came up with the idea to somehow help her patients feel human contact.

True to what he wished to achieve, one of his patients thanked him for the initiative through a letter.

“Ang sabi niya sa’kin, ‘Alex, maraming salamat do’n sa ginawamong mga daliri. Laking tulong sa akin,’” he said.

(He told me, "Alex, thank you very much for the hands you made. It was a big help for me.")

“Natuwa po ako tapos parang tumayo yung balahibo ko kasi tinuturing ko sila na pamilya,” he added.

(I felt happy and I got goosebumps because I treat my patients as family.)

Alexander was a former fast-food restaurant manager who was forced to resign because of the pandemic. But he is now making full use of the knowledge he gained while working in the food-service industry in his current job.

Although being a medical front liner puts his life on the line, Alexander said that he has learned to love the job and the risks that come with it.

“‘Pag masaya ka sa ginagawa mo, pinupusuan mo, binibigyan mo ng commitment, passion, nawawala rin yung pagod,” he said.

(When you’re happy with what you’re doing, you love it, you commit yourself to it with passion, the fatigue from the job goes away).

On Sunday, the Health Department recorded 8,162 new COVID-19 cases, raising the Philippines' total count of cases to 997,523. — Franchesca Viernes/DVM, GMA News