i'm posing this as a gentle reminder to us Singaporeans; be
nice to nurses during this tough period.
why am i speaking up for the ladies in white? simple; my wife is
a nurse...
during the SARS period in 2003 - 2004, there were reports that
the public were very hostile towards nurses for fear they will
"pass" the deadly virus to them. some nurses were refused entry on
buses, some were shunned by the general public, one was even
reported spat on. yes, i would agree that there were fear and
confusion as it was the nation's first ever epidemic and people
were "trying" to stay alive with what they perceived as correct
actions towards nurses;
shun them, shame them, insult them and you shall be safe... or
so they thought.
well, SARS ended and the nation recovered. then we "celebrated"
the brave, selfless spirit of the nightingales yet, in truth...
they never really recovered. not that they still have the SARS
virus in them but the hurt that we inflicted onto them during
the hellish period.
yes yes, we had ceremonies to commemorate the event. we even had
tv drama series in conjection with the celebration... but does all
these actually "heal" them? they were asked during the SARS period
to change into casual clothes after work so we, the people they are
trying to save everyday will not shun them like some lepers,
so we will not insult them like some traitors and will not
give them that "sick" eyes we so often gives to "transversites".
have we forgotten who the real enemy is? do you think they do not
feel sad when one of them, a fellow servant to us Singaporeans died
in the line of duty trying to save us? and even so, we instead of
consoling them, started the "cold war"?
we constantly remind ourselves that SARS could return and we
must be vigiliant... how ironic it is that now we have a new virus
in town and even deadlier... i'm not gloating, how could i? for i
know that my wife is out there, the front line facing a deadly,
invisible enemy. she has so many colleagues that i call
friends, buddies and mentors. doctors, nurses, even those
admin staff sitting at the counters waiting for you to register.
these men and women deserve alot more...
please do not shun them like what we did during SARS. we
could be forgiven for we were hit with an epidemic the first
time. let's not "punish" them during this tough period but
stand by them... afterall, they will be the ones that will try to
save us in the event we fall to this new demon.
This is the selfish side of Singaporeans that you'll noticed.
Those that shun them, spat at them. Hope their mouth rot!
As for me, no, i will never shun them. They are the greatest
when they stay to take care of those infected. They should deserve
the greatest respect!
