Fri. Mar 22nd, 2024

TL;DR – Be kind, and don’t shout at the healthcare workers.

Many healthcare workers are feeling the strain of increased workload with the recent surge in cases.

From having to tend to more patients, to working overtime and being recalled for duty on days off, to having no time for toilet breaks, many of them are facing exhaustion and feeling burnt out.

TODAY have also reported that some general practitioners (GPs) said they were seeing up to twice the number of patients with acute respiratory symptoms compared to a month ago.

In response to the increased workload, one junior doctor has taken to a meme page on Instagram to share his or her frustration anonymously.

Don’t need #STCOVIDHEROES

In the post, the junior doctor explicitly said that there is no need for #STCOVIDHEROES, an Instagram campaign run by The Straits Times to show their gratitude to the frontliners.

Instead, the junior doctor is asking for better policies, better hospital administrators, and also a change in attitude about healthcare workers amongst the general public.

The healthcare worker also urged the general public to “get vaccinated” and “adhere to rules in place to slow COVID” if they want to show their support for healthcare workers.

Be kind to healthcare workers, don’t shout at them

The junior doctor also asked for the public to be kind to the healthcare workers and not shout at them because of the waiting time, or in the event when non-essential medicines are being served late.

Healthcare workers need to rest, he or she added.

You can read the post in full text below:

Sorry, after over a year of COVID sacrifice, and years of being underpaid and overworked, thoughts and prayers don’t cut it anymore.

I can’t eat thoughts & prayers, I can’t use thoughts & prayers to spend time with my loved ones, I can’t use thoughts & prayers reduce the stress and toll working in healthcare makes on my health.

I don’t need #STCOVIDHEROES I need better policies, I need better hospital administrators, I need attitude change in the general public about HCWs.

General public, if you want to show your support for us, please get vaccinated and adhere to rules in place to slow COVID. Please don’t come to the hospital unless you have a real emergency to help ease the healthcare burden. And be kind. Don’t shout at me or my PSA because of your clinic wait time. We’ve missed lunch and held our pee for the past 5 hours. Don’t shout at my nurse for serving that non essential medicine late. She has an entire cubicle to attend to. Don’t get upset when therapist doesn’t come in on Sunday. Yes HCWs need to rest!! 🤯 Screw Instagram campaigns and give us real life #change. Thanks ☺️

Edit: This post is generating a lot of talk! Want to thank all the non HCWs who have reached out in support. Also want to add on that while I am only qualified to speak as a HCW, the issues raised exist for non healthcare essential workers too (eg cleaners, deliverymen)

#medicaljokes #medicalmeme #medlyfe #thoughtsandprayers #publicHeth #policymaking #help #Tired #COVID #DonewithWithBeingAHero #notwavingbutdrowning


15% of Singapore’s population remains unvaccinated

While Singapore’s vaccination rate has reached a new milestone with close to 85% of Singapore’s population fully vaccinated, there are still a group of individuals who are not vaccinated.

In a move to protect unvaccinated individuals in the community and to reduce the strain on the healthcare system, the Ministry of Health (MOH) has announced on Saturday (Oct 9) that unvaccinated individuals will no longer be able to dine in, go to shopping malls, hawker centres and coffee shops, or visit attractions from next Wednesday (Oct 13).

Understandably, there have been some disgruntled anti-vaxxers who felt discriminated by the new restrictions.

However, it is important to also recognise that we cannot be on lockdown forever and a zero-case strategy cannot be a long-term solution. For now, perhaps this is the best way to protect the ones who have chosen to be unvaccinated, for one reason or another.

Our healthcare heroes work extra hours, work extra hard to make sure all of us are safe

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By Joey Wee

I am nice, most of the time!