An eventful year’s end at the Clinic
January 12, 2022
While the end of year is always somewhat hectic at the Clinic, the health situation and the numerous daily cases have not made things easier! Yet, despite the uncertainties, an atmosphere of celebration and sharing is surrounding the great family of the Clinique Bon Pasteur. We are taking a look back at this particularly intense season with Sheela Kamayah and Rajesh Beeyafan, both Nursing Supervisors at the Clinic.
In the medical field, the end of the year always brings its share of extra work: small accidents, falls, injuries, firework-related casualties… This year, COVID-19 is adding another layer. ‘We have had a lot of work since new tasks have been added to our workload: each patient must, for example, do a PCR test before undergoing any operation. We also need to spot suspected cases – patients with flu, headaches, etc. – and submit them to an antigen test,’ explains Sheela.
‘Fortunately, things have calmed down a bit. A few weeks back, we were seeing positive patients every day,’ adds Rajesh. While the Clinic can provide first-aid treatment to people with COVID, it generally redirects them to care structures, which are more adapted and better equipped to treat the disease. Beyond the somehow disrupted daily routine, the loss of colleagues and patients also remains on the staff’s mind. ‘We all feel a twinge of sadness, especially at the close of the year, for our colleagues, who work at the hospital, and for those who passed away,’ Sheela says sorrowfully.
Despite the surrounding situation, a festive atmosphere is prevailing all the same in the Clinic. Tiny Christmas trees and other ornaments are out to set a discreet and warm decoration. ‘Since the beginning of the crisis, we have not been able to organise any usual end-of-year festivities; however, the Clinic has indulged its employees with kind attentions,’ says Rajesh. End-of-year bonuses and a quarter of a fourteenth month payment, gift cards, boxes of treats, Christmas cake… ‘There is a human touch, which cannot be found anywhere else. Here, we work in a family atmosphere,’ continues Rajesh.
While employees are encouraged to organise festive get-togethers in small groups, patients also receive special meals to mark the end of the year. Still, for Sheela and Rajesh, the year ends on a hopeful note. ‘Fortunately, the number of cases has declined, which allows us to welcome 2022 with optimism,’ says Sheela. For Rajesh, it is the teamwork at the Clinic that warms his heart. ‘Our teams are great and supportive, and this has allowed us to end the year in a good way. The Clinic’s new projects, with the expansion of the operating theatre and a new intensive care room, are spirit-lifting, as the Clinic aims continuously to provide better service,’ he concludes.
The year ends on a renewal commitment, which offers the prospect of a new year built on hope and confidence.
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