I HAVE been a nurse counselor for years now. My usual week does not end without me seeing my patients. This advocacy of nurse counseling is one of the reasons I am motivated to wake up and get up every morning. But because of the enhanced community quarantine, I am stuck at home and I missed listening to my clients. I realized that I cannot just eat, sit, or sleep the whole day without listening to them.
And so last week, when I was browsing through Facebook, I saw the various posts on Covid-19. To be honest, I refused to read the negative news about it because I want to live each of my days surrounding myself with positive vibes. Then, I saw the national free online consultation response team not only for Covid patients but for all with health concerns during this lockdown period. I learned that the team is headed by Dr. Erwin M. Faller a registered pharmacist and the founder of Global Health Pharmacy Network in Asia which was established in 2015 in Malaysia.
It is in collaboration with Dr. Ryan Elrey L. Navarro, current president of Association of Medical Doctors in Asia (AMDA) Philippines, and Jevielyn P. Tan Nery, dean of Brokenshire College of Pharmacy Program, Davao City. Dr. Shigeru Suganami, founder of AMDA Japan, was also reported to be supporting this project. Suganami is known to integrate community development all over the world during public health crisis.
I joined as one of the volunteers for the project to serve the Filipinos to answer the call that "No One Is Left Behind" initiative. As Dr. Faller said, "this initiative is a quick response to the call of the signs of the times to merge and be as one for the Filipino people." He also revealed that the online team has already catered to more than 600 patients with different health conditions from March 23 to April 8, 2020.
For now, the team has expanded to more than 100 volunteers of doctors, pharmacists, nurses, social workers and medical interns. Being a part of it is priceless, a different experience. As a nurse volunteer of this team I just wish I have a magic wand to make things better easily but counseling does not work that way.
I truly believe that it is listening with a caring heart that speaks unconditional love and hope that I love doing the most.