They leave their families at home, go to work at the hospital, the epic centre of the current COVID-19 surge in the Eastern Highlands Province.
Doctors and Nurses of the Goroka Hospital risk their lives every day since the surge started in early September, hoping they don’t take the virus back to their families.
Some have managed to come this far without contracting the virus, but it was unfortunate for one doctor who tested positive to COVID-19 and passed it on to his mother and his 7-year-old son at home.
Dr David Nangen, a surgeon at the hospital and his wife who also works at the surgical ward both contracted the virus unknowingly, took it home and infected the two very people they have been trying to protect from the virus.
An emotional Dr Nangen said it was a very stressful and difficult time for him and his wife when they found out that their 7-year-old son also tested positive to COVD-19.
He said he watched COVID-19 patients collapsing and dying in front of him back at the hospital and he took it hard on himself knowing that he passed the virus to his son.
“As parents, we try to protect our children from all harm and for me trying to fully grasp the fact that I took the virus home and passed it to my son was painfully hard for me to bear.”
“I was stressed and traumatised for days because I was already witnessing the full extent of what COVID-19 was doing to people and I didn’t think that someone I truly cared and loved would contract the virus., said Dr Nangen.
He said he has been working in the hospital for 16 years and he has never experienced such stress and trauma until recently.
The whole family are currently isolating at home, recovering slowly from the virus.
Dr Nangen said he is grateful that his family have been brought up in the church so when the worst happened to them, they prayed together, and they are all recovering well from home.
