PGH healthcare staff wear PPEs emblazoned with sketches to make everyone smile

Healthcare workers at the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) have their personal protective equipment decorated with sketches of assorted cartoon characters to add joy and lighten the mood of their patients and colleagues who are on the frontlines of the pandemic response.

Sheena Grace Diamante, 27, one of the staff nurses assigned to PGH Payward Right Central Block-5, shared these photos with INQUIRER.net, saying the artworks bring joy not just to their pediatric patients but also to adults. Furthermore, the art raises the spirits of the staff throughout their exhausting studies.

LOOK: Staff nurses and personnel of the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) have their personal protective equipment…

Posted by Be An INQUIRER on Wednesday, March 31, 2021

“To lessen the burden and heaviness of both patients and staff, Nursing Attendant II and now acting safety officer Marilen Vargas uses her talent to draw on the PPEs of the hospital personnel who are serving inside the COVID ward,” Diamante told INQUIRER.net in an interview.

When asked what her message would be to anyone amid the pandemic, Diamante said: “I guess every healthcare workers have the same aspirations [right now]. We don’t need to be applauded as heroes. Like anybody else, we just want this pandemic to end.”

Diamante also urged the Filipino people to follow the health protocols and be responsible for our right to suffrage.

“Instead of making tributes for us, we would appreciate it if everyone would be responsible in their actions, wear mask properly, practice hand sanitation and hygiene, stay at home, and vote properly for the next elections. We couldn’t fight this alone. We need everyone to [put themselves in] the same shoes as ours.”

As a medical frontliner, Diamante hopes that this pandemic will awaken others to the importance of their field and profession.

“We are often neglected. Hence, several of us have no choice but to find greener pasture outside the country. We are hoping that we would learn from this pandemic and would put priority to the development of public health programs as well as in improving our health care system,” Diamante said.

“COVID-19 isn’t just the only disease in the world, and so, we couldn’t cater to non-covid cases. That would always [leave] us the question, ‘Paano na sila? (What happens to them?)’ Yes, in the midst of exhaustion, we always think that way. But the end of the day, we wanted to do our best for our fellowmen because Filipinos [really] deserve a better healthcare system,” she added.

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