Large Vax Site Furnished at Taoyuan Arena for Civilian Vaccination
Thank you for withstanding the epidemic with us
Exploration on Impacts and Countering Strategies under the Epidemic
With your company in the darkest hours, the most dimmed candle will illuminate with brilliance.
"If I myself am scared, what should the registered nurses under my command and the civilians do? Hence, no, I shall not be afraid," said Huang Xin-Ping, Head Nurse at TYGH Emergency Room, with a leisured attitude in the face of the centennial pandemic of COVID-19.
As Municipality of National Gateway, Impact by First Epidemic Wave is Inevitable
The term "Taoyuan General Hospital, Ministry of Health and Welfare (TYGH)" has been appearing in various epidemic news in the recent two years since the first COVID-19 case in Taiwan was admitted in 2020. From "Taiwan-Palau Travel Bubble", "TYGH Incident" to the "China Airlines Novotel Incident", TYGH withstands the epidemic and successfully defended Taiwan's barrier without signs of decline.
What's behind Huang Xin-Ping's calmness is not the valor without strategies, but are the countless epidemic prevention drills, strict infection control operations, and self-confidence in the nursing profession.
"In clinical practice, we perform self-protection properly, such as washing our hands properly. For example, when I go to the emergency room, I'd wash my hands after I touch something. There was one time the Vice Superintendent of TYGH standing next to me wondering why I kept washing my hands. It is because I have hardwired it in my head without finding it cumbersome." When mentioning infection control, Huang Xin-Ping explained that TYGH strictly implements handwashing audits, surgical mask fit tests, and even "the doffing of protective clothing following completion of each test will be under supervision, as most people are infected when they doff off their hazmat."
Providing Strongest Support to Medical Care Personnel
TYGH's infection control has been implemented before the COVID-19 epidemic. Huang Xin-Ping said, "the City Government staff pay regular visits to review our entire epidemic prevention flow and process. That's something they've been doing since before the epidemic. A while ago, the City Government also came to check out our equipment, and to confirm the emergency epidemic prevention circulations and how the equipment was used in TYGH."
Taoyuan City Government established the ＂COVID-19 Joint Prevention and Medical Network" as early as February 2020, in which 11 hospitals responsible for emergency within its jurisdiction signed the cooperation statement, allowing inter-hospital supports including epidemic prevention materials, beds, medical manpower, equipment, and inter-hospital referrals under the coordination of the City's Department of Public Health. Huang Xin-Ping has personal experience in this regard. "From the beginning of the epidemic, the most common contact is the City Government's assistance in transferring patients for physician visits, and at the beginning, epidemic prevention taxis were also under deployment by the City Government. Later, many supplies such as cooling fans, air purifiers, etc., were also provided by the City Government to the hospital for epidemic prevention use."
Memories Flooding in Mind
Epidemic prevention is a stressful and intense work. For Huang Xin-Ping, the longest streak of staying in TYGH premise without going home is the 21 days in a row during the TYGH Incident. However, at the same time, as a medical staff, she In addition had to face the discriminatory treatment by others who don't understand. Huang Xin-Ping said that at that time, many bento eateries would skip delivery to TYGH, and the convenience store in the hospital had nothing but plundered shelves without even a package of instant noodles; In addition, a breakfast place was dissuaded from visiting just because it is owned by the family of Huang's colleague; in addition, Huang Xin-Ping's own son was also labeled by his classmates. Nevertheless, Huang Xin-Ping proudly said, "my son always tells others that he very proud of his mother for the role, and there is nothing to be afraid of. My family understands my hard work. When my son knows that I am going to work, the first thing he does is hugging and kissing me, and telling me how much he loves me. This is something we do every day. My family has always given me great support."
The darker the moment is, the more evident the positivity of human nature will be.
Huang Xin-Ping said that at that time, many people knowing about the hardship and busy working of medical staff would still send food and other things to TYGH, saying, "Thank you for your hard work." One restaurant impressed her particularly. "At the initial outbreak of COVID-19, there was one yakiniku restaurant sending Japanese yakiniku to our emergency room. Also, on the first day of the TYGH Incident, the same restaurant became the first to deliver bento to us. They even asked its employee to write a small note of encouragement for us. That restaurant has always been the first to act, and I am very grateful to them. They moved us with the willingness to do such things."
The Resilience of Persistence Derives from Every Individual of Taoyuan
Huang Xin-Ping has engaged in nursing for 20 years, and she humbly claimed how she is still a newbie head nurse. Regarding her work, she responded, "I have been a registered nurse for 20 years, and I have never felt tired along the way. At that time, I had just been transferred from head nurse of outpatient to the same role at ER, which coincided with COVID-19 outbreak. Everyone thought that, wow, this is unfortunate! Yet I took it differently, since this is not something every single person would encounter, and I am doing a series of things during the entire epidemic prevention which cannot be done by everyone. These are what I've been telling myself."
The COVID-19 pandemic has shaken the world. For more than two years, Taiwan has gradually moved towards the "post-epidemic" era with the help of the public, medical care and the government, with low social impact and retained medical capacity.
Taoyuan, as the front line of the national border and epidemic prevention, has successfully demonstrated the resilience of epidemic prevention and has successfully survived at all stages of the epidemic. Each and every medical staff, front-line epidemic prevention personnel, and all citizens shall take credit for the joint efforts behind the success of epidemic prevention.
"We show the same attitude in the encounters of all viruses, and we need not be frightened. Protect yourself to protect your family and every single person."