Paramedics and other emergency medical services workers have been on the frontline during the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic. 
Intermediate life support medic Waseela Mohammed (29), the Shift Leader at Gauteng Emergency Management Services (EMS) at the City of Johannesburg, says the past year-and-a-half has been tough.
“Being a medic isn’t easy. It involves responding to a crisis, dealing with the possibility of death and staying cool at a time when it’s needed most,” she says.
The pandemic has impacted almost every aspect of life, caused global economies to stall, changed the way we work and interact with loved ones and stretched healthcare systems to the limit.
“It has been challenging to work… We’ve had to embrace the new normal and change how we normally do things to ensure transformation and innovation ," she says.
Being on the frontline and transporting critically ill patients, Mohammed says paramedics have seen more deaths in a day, than they normally would in their shift cycle. “As a result, staff members are emotionally, physically and mentally drained, but we persevere,” says Mohammed.
She urges people to vaccinate against COVID-19, as it is still the most effective method of preventing hospitalisation and death.
“Getting vaccinated is important to protect yourself and those around you. Get vaccinated even if you have already had the virus. Vaccinate today, so that tomorrow everyone is together!”
For more information about vaccination and vaccination sites, visit www.sacoronavirus.co.za or call the COVID-19 Public Hotline at 0800 029 999.
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