Doctors and Nurses Offer Altruistic Online Help amid the Covid-19 Crisis
The windows of all Spain are opened ever day at 8pm to applaud health workers for their daily job at the health centres, but also to applaud those professionals that are still helping their patients from home. This is the case of doctor Mónica Lalanda, she launched an initiative in social media with the aim of helping patients that are not considered to have severe signs and that do not need to be treated in the ER.
Similarly, Alicia Negrón, a nurse specialized in Family and Community Nursing. She was home since she suspected she might have COVID-19. So that, she has willingly offered herself to help solve little doubts about care, whenever her overall health allows so, to those who do not considered themselves to have severe signs that need to be treated in the health centres. Ever since she published the offer, she has received many messages, mostly from people asking about self-care.
The state of alarm called on 14 March with a series of certain measures related to going to the pharmacies or health centres, coincided with the initiative launched in Twitter by Doctor Monica Lalanda addressing all health workers in Spain:
“Doctors who want to contribute to online medical noninterest consultations” read the beginning of the publication, “there are many people concerned at home due to existing and new medical conditions, they feel they are being left alone and that they are not allowed or should not attend to a health care centre”. “Please, spread this information, so that many doctors can become involved in this initiative and many patients can be aware of it”, she requests.
After the request, over 300 professionals have supported this initiative through the Facebook page created for the occasion. “There are no doubt people is already using it because I’m receiving comments and questions from colleagues and so far, I have received 20 questions about many things,” says Monica Lalanda.
In addition to Negrón and Monica, there are many more professionals who have also offered their help through Twitter or Instagram. And not only to answer those questions related to COVID-19 but also to answer those non-severe condition questions.
“As many of you may know, I’m a paediatrician. So that, if you have any doubt that does not required urgent attention, I can help you without you needing to leave home, and I can do so with pleasure through DM”, shared Pediatriciangirl (@eide99).
Leonardo Saldaña, a pulmonologist, has also become involved in the initiative during his day off. “If you suspect you may have COVID-19 but is not severe enough to go to the emergency unit and if you have questions, you can ask me them for private today” With this tweet, Leonardo has achieved that other colleagues become involved in the initiative under the Spanish hashtag #iniciativasanitaria (#HealthWorkersInitiative).
Source: Redacción Médica
