And Dr Eck's dire condition has deeply affected the medical community where he is highly regarded. That's especially true at the KHMH where the paediatrician has been a constant presence. Nurse Casilda Bowman, the Unit Manager, at the KHMH Covid Unit appears don Uncut last night and said Dr Eck's covid condition has hit them hard:
Casilda Bowman - Unit Manager, Covid Patient Under Investigation Unit "Right now I think the morale is very low because we just loss a staff and then now Dr. Ek who is very critical, it really has the entire team and to an extension the entire hospital in a shaky state, we have created a bond with Dr. Ek, like Dr. Ek is our guy, he's a pediatrician but he is our guy, like he comes in and just light up our room. He would come into the COVID unit and see us working hard, he's like I'll bring you guys doughnuts and she shows up like an hour later with doughnuts for everybody, he's like that's the least he can do for us working so hard. So, it's type of guy that we see, we love, we have grown to become family, so we are really taking it hard."
Jules Vasquez "Have you had to take counseling, have others in your unit have to take counseling?"
Casilda Bowman "Yes, I actually started counseling about maybe 2 weeks ago, simply because it's hard, the death is hard, the emotional turmoil that is taking us through, I felt myself unraveling right before my eyes, I'm seeing it, I'm being snappish, it's like emotionally drained, so I had to really seek out help to weave my way through so everybody is not affected by what I'm going through."
Jules Vasquez "Seeing so much suffering and death that you all have seen, it's really psychologically scaring. How has it changed your outlook on your profession and your life, the world?"
Casilda Bowman "I mean to be quite frank and honest, I feel like it has really enriched the opportunity to cease that moment, recognizing that we are here and today we might be here and so to make the most of everything."
Jules Vasquez "Are we in your mind losing the war with COVID-19 as you see the numbers increase?"
Casilda Bowman "It's hard to say, I have not loss hope as yet, maybe today I've seen a little bit of hope when we have decreased our numbers, we've done gone from 24 to 13 people in the ward within 2 days and so that gives you a little bit of hope but like I don't want to put too much emphasis on the lower numbers in hospitals so that people drop their guard and then we increase our numbers again but I have not lost hope as yet. I still think that we are here and we can fight it and we can make it if we come together."
Jules Vasquez "The reason you do media appearances and we ask you, the reason you agree to do it and you agree to do almost anything you can with the constraints on your time, is because you want people to understand weh di go on in there. Why is that so important to you?"
Casilda Bowman "It's important because what I'm seeing, I don't think anybody should have to go through that. At the end of the day, I have to look at what is the most important thing and it's saving people's lives, it may not be physically but if I can help you to see what is happening, so that you may be able, let me think what I'm going to do over before I do it because I don't want to be in this situation."
