If it’s true that every compassionate deed performed in this life plants a seed in the soul that blossoms in the next, theirs will be a Garden of Eden.
Let’s give loud, prolonged, rhythmic drum rolls, repeated curtain calls, loud cheers, and a standing ovation to the doctors, nurses and other medic workers who are risking their lives fighting on the frontlines in the COVID-19 war.
The history of the world is peppered with heroes and heroines who have transcended regular borders and provided extraordinary services to mankind beyond the call of duty. They come in all shapes and sizes, are of different skin pigmentation and share different religious beliefs, but compassion is the common denominator of all.
Most times they’re so humble, they’re not even aware of the valuable contribution they’re making to humanity. It’s just something they do without even thinking about it and, sadly, at times without even a kind word of thanks from their beneficiaries.
They’re now engaged on the frontline, tirelessly fighting with all their might and all the God-given strength they can muster for the cause… for humanity at large.
Many, armed only with a strip of cheap white or blue cloth that masks their nose and mouth for their protection, bravely face the silent, invisible enemy. These are the doctors, nurses and medical support staff who valiantly face the enemy 24/7 in a relentless battle for victory.
Their adversary is countless, but that does not deter them. Never before have so few given so much; never before have so few asked for so little. If it’s true that every compassionate deed performed in this life plants a seed in the soul that blossoms in the next, theirs will be a Garden of Eden.
These unsung heroes and heroines have been among us, humbly going about their work and diligently performing their duty in relative silence for quite some time. COVID-19, however, has catapulted them from relative obscurity and unceremoniously thrown them into the public spotlight, making them impossible to ignore. And in so doing, many of these dedicated professionals haven’t just met our expectations; they’ve surpassed them.
Sometimes, they’re so focused on helping other people, they’ve dropped their guard, failed to protect themselves adequately (or were inadequately protected) and fell prey to COVID-19, the enemy they set out to conquer. If not for their compassion and the career path they chose, perhaps they would be alive today and enjoying quality time with their families.
Grand wash
Individually and collectively, they are members of what is most probably the noblest profession of all – the medical profession – those engaged in diagnosis, treatment and prevention of diseases – doctors, nurses, surgeons and suchlike.
While COVID-19 has been the most serious threat to humanity since the world began, surprisingly, it does have some redeeming factors. It has stopped people in their wayward tracks and is goading them into re-evaluating their lives and changing their ways, making them define what is and what isn’t of real value.
In the grand wash in months to come, many governments worldwide will topple. Some politicians will emerge as heroes who did all in their power to support and help the people in their greatest hour of need while others will be revealed as the fast-taking, insincere flim-flam people that they are and have always been. Only now, however, have the people had the time to observe, think about them, appraise their deeds properly, and accurately measure their contribution to civilization, if any.
As the great American leader Abraham Lincoln once said: “You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can not fool all of the people all of the time.”
In their battle against the enemy they face, the most immediate and essential need right now seems to be personal protective equipment (PPEs) and that’s not too much to ask. To go into battle armed with the mere hope of survival leaves a lot to be desired. No soldier would be expected to face a machine gun armed only with a peashooter. Neither should the medical profession be expected to risk their valuable lives. Ending their lives as COVID-19 martyrs serves no useful purpose, and their deaths cause an incalculable loss to those who love them.
It cannot be emphasized often enough the courageous humanitarian role our doctors and nurses are playing and all they seek for now is protection, respect, and co-operation.
Florence Nightingale (1820-1910), the founder of modern nursing, became a nurse at a time when the profession was considered a degrading occupation and hospitals were cesspools of disease. Nightingale changed that.
While hospitals today are not ‘cesspools of disease’ COVID-19 has given them a challenge never before experienced. In doing so, it’s helped us recognize unsung heroes and remarkable human beings who deserve not only recognition and just reward but also celebration and a chance to live.
While we have every reason to decry COVID-19, we ought to be grateful to it for bringing into the spotlight the heroes and heroines who have been living among us in the shadows, taken for granted, and largely been ignored in the past.
We’re lucky to have the compassionate, dedicated professional people who don’t just meet our expectations, but many times surpass them.
Curtain calls… loud cheers… and a standing ovation to all the doctors, nurses and other medic workers.
Sir Frank Peters is a former newspaper and magazine publisher and editor, an award-winning writer, humanitarian and a royal goodwill ambassador. sirfrankpeters@gmail.com
