Host Intro: As many of us are home as a result of COVID-19, a novel coronavirus that has been declared a pandemic in mid-March, essential workers head to work in New York. Hospitals all over New York State are struggling with overwhelmed staff and dwindling supplies. Shali Huang has a story of how this pandemic is affecting healthcare workers.
AMBI: Natural sound of a faucet running. (Fades as TRACK1 begins.)
TRACK1: Recently, as the pandemic unfolds, hospitals all over the country announced that they would terminate employees who would speak to the media regarding the lack of PPEs and long hours. Several hospitals enforcing this policy include New York’s Montefiore System, NYU Langone and Chicago’s Northwestern Memorial Hospital. I have an NYU Langone employee here today as she describes how COVID-19 has affected her hospital. Her name will be withheld as a result of this policy.
ACT1: I work for NYU Langone as a housekeeper. I clean the rooms. My hospital is now limiting PPEs. They didn’t use to do that. We just took what we needed. They didn’t keep count. We are not allowed to wear masks now. Only doctors and nurses who treat the COVID-19 patients can wear them.
TRACK2: Social distancing rules are constantly adjusting with rising infection numbers. One major issue is maintaining social distance in close quarters. This is especially difficult to do on subways and buses, especially when this is how most essential employees travel to work. The MTA have implemented policies to sanitize their stations, subways, and most recently buses, everyday to assist these essential employees, even as rider numbers have been decreasing by at least 60% since March.
ACT2: I wake up very early, at 5:30 am to take the M34 bus when I go to work because there aren’t many people. But when I get off work, I walk home. It takes me about one hour.
TRACK3: As the number of COVID-19 cases increase, hospitals are overwhelmed beyond capacity. Nurses and doctors all over the country have stated concerns regarding the lack of PPEs in their hospitals. Since NYS have become the epicenter of this pandemic, hospitals are overrun with dying patients that temporary morgues had to be built. Lack of hospital beds and ventilators are common throughout the city, with rising reports of frontline workers being infected. Emergency room doctor Colleen Smith, working at NYC’s Elmhurst Hospital describes the situation in her hospital. SMITH: We had to get a refrigerated truck to store the bodies.
ACT3: The cases are growing so much, especially in New York. Since last month, I have had to work overtime. Every two weeks, I get two days off. I keep seeing on the news that doctors and nurses are getting sick so I worry a lot. Now it is even more important to work. We need more healthcare workers. It is dangerous but this is our responsibility.
TRACK4: As the governor calls on retired doctors and nurses to return to service during these trying times, supplies are dwindling. SMITH: We don’t have the protective equipment we’re supposed to have. I put on one N95 mask in the morning. I don’t take it off all day. I don’t even care if I get in trouble for speaking to the media. I want people to know that this is bad. People are dying.
TRACK5: A growing number of healthcare workers have taken to social media describing their situation regarding safety issues and a lack of PPEs despite retaliation from their employers. As the number of COVID-19 cases increases, those on the front lines are most at risk. For Baruch College, this is Shali Huang in New York City.
