UAE’s janitors and porters: the Covid-19 pandemic’s unsung heroes

Support staff in Dubai hospitals recognised for their invaluable contribution to the country's fight against coronavirus

Amal Badr Al Bussaidi, who lives in Abu Dhabi, is the Head of the Technical Support Unit at the UAE Red Crescent. She has worked tirelessly for more than six months at the Ghantout Covid-19 quarantine facility. Courtesy: Seeds of the Union

Iris Ena Diel, from the Philippines, provided essential care and support to countless Covid-19 patients as a nurse at the Sharjah Expo Field Hospital. She says the one thing that got her and her colleagues through the long and stressful days in the field hospital was the strong sense of camaraderie between them. Courtesy: Seeds of the Union

Esraa Al Agha, a medical student who lives in Ajman, volunteered at Al Qassimi Hospital in Sharjah, in quarantine hotels, and in various other capacities, including as a trusted liaison to patients’ families and performing Covid-19 tests in challenging settings. Courtesy: Seeds of the Union

Habib Saifulmalook, from Pakistan, showed remarkable work ethic as an ambulance driver in Sharjah throughout the pandemic, transporting patients, medical staff and essential supplies across the emirate. Courtesy: Seeds of the Union

Capt Mayed Ali Alameiry is Deputy Harbour Master at the Port of Fujairah and a member of the Executive Committee of the Local Crisis and Emergency Management Team. These roles put him at the centre of the planning and execution of the port’s responses to Covid-19. Courtesy: Seeds of the Union

First Sgt Mohammed Al Salloom leads the medical services section of the Support Services Department of Ras Al Khaimah Police. Throughout the pandemic, he has worked with skill and care to protect police officers and members of the public from the dangers of Covid-19. Courtesy: Seeds of the Union

Cleaners, porters and other support staff in UAE hospitals are being recognised as faceless heroes for their work on the front lines during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Personal stories of workers are being shared to highlight their efforts, part of a campaign launched by Accumed Practice Management, a company that provides revenue cycle management solutions to the healthcare sector.

Several workers from hospitals in Dubai were nominated as faceless heroes and will receive $1,500 as a thank you.

The National spoke to some of the workers nominated.

Porter

When Mohsin Saleem, 23, moved to Dubai in February 2020 to work as a porter, he never thought he would be starting his new journey during a pandemic.

The Pakistani works at International Modern Hospital. His job requires him to move Covid-19 patients and supplies between wards and departments.

"The nature of my job made it really scary for me, but I felt it was my duty to step up and offer all the help I could," he said.

“I’m the only one providing for my family back home, so I was praying for my health.”

Mr Saleem said there are several moments from last year that he “can never forget”, including helping a young cancer patient and a six-month-old baby with a Covid-19 test.

“It’s a terrible situation overall, but it’s extremely difficult to see vulnerable members of society – like the elderly and children – going through it,” he said.

“But, I put my fears and emotions aside and dedicated as much time as I could.”

Mr Saleem was not infected with the virus.

Housekeeper

Olatokunbo Victor Omosebi, 32, moved to Dubai from Nigeria a couple of years ago to find employment.

For the past three years, he has been working as a housekeeper at the Medstar Clinic Right Health in Dubai.

Mr Omosebi was working on the front line last year, cleaning all areas of the Covid-19 ward, including patient rooms, toilets and instruments, and making sure patients suffering from fevers were kept in different rooms.

“It’s an important job, but it was even more important during the pandemic because we have to keep everything really sanitised,” Mr Omosebi said.

“We were risking our health while doing our jobs, but we all had a duty to everyone who was coming to the hospital. I didn’t feel scared because I knew if I kept my PPE [personal protective equipment] on, I would be safe.”

Mr Omosebi was not infected with the virus.

Human resources deputy manager

Enosh Jogi, 27, was responsible for motivating and recruiting new staff at the International Modern Hospital during the pandemic.

Mr Jogi, from India, said hiring new doctors and nurses became difficult when travel restrictions were introduced.

“Internally, our staff were also detected as Covid-19 positive and we had to manage our critical departments with the available resources,” he said.

“We faced a challenging time because we were unable to recruit from outside the UAE. We had to look for options as soon as possible to make sure patient care was not affected in the hospital.”

Mr Jogi said another challenge was ensuring staff could get to and from work, because public transport was suspended during the restrictions last year.

Along with the hospital’s operations team, Mr Jogi helped implement a pick-and-drop system for staff.

“At the same time, it was my responsibility to make sure all the staff working on the front lines were motivated at all times,” he said. “We did this by having an appreciation programme and making sure that the entire staff had every resource needed to deliver excellent patient care.”

Mr Jogi tested positive for the virus last year, but continued working from home until it was safe for him to return to the hospital.

Make-up artist gives frontline workers a free make-over – in pictures