A Day in a Life of a Medical Technologist: Pandemic Edition

written by: CJ Dicang

   

I am CJ Dicang, a registered medical technologist in the Philippines.

Many people tag medical technologists as “blood suckers” since we extract blood from them, and that’s it. Little did they know that besides from that, we also process and analyze blood samples, urine, stool, sputum and other body fluids inside the laboratory. We identify microorganisms such as parasites, bacteria and even viruses in specialized laboratories. 

    Since there was a rise in the cases of COVID-19 here in the Philippines, many of us were called back in hospitals to perform tasks that would help in detecting COVID-19 in patients. As medtechs, we are the ones responsible in performing the oropharyngeal and nasopharyngeal (OPS and NPS) swabbing that is needed to do the RT-PCR method which will detect the virus in the samples. Aside from that, we are also the ones responsible in processing those specimens, inactivating the RNA and performing the PCR test. In cases wherein there is a need for a rapid testing, we are also the ones interpreting its results. 

    In my case, since I work at a COVID-referral center catering around 300 COVID-19 associated patients, I am also responsible in taking their blood samples to be processed in the laboratory, taking swab samples from them, alive or dead. Yes, we also swab dead patients. 

Change in routine

   

    Ever since the start of this pandemic, my everyday routine changed completely. Whenever I am inside the hospital premises, I was very anxious of everything. Feeling ko kasi, anytime makukuha ko yung virus and I am not sure if pag-uwi ko ba is safe ba ko, nandon yung takot na baka mahawa yung pamilya mo. Everything became worse nung nasa COVID ward na ako, we need to work 7 days straight for 12 hours a day before the mandatory 14-day quarantine. Parang hindi enough yung nag-aalcohol lang ako or naghuhugas lang ako ng kamay, sobrang praning ko na but eventually, I got used to the routine and nasa isip ko nalang is maging maingat nalang everytime, wear masks palagi and make sure in condition yung PPE na isusuot ko bago ako pumunta sa mga ward. 

What do you wear to protect yourself? 

   

Kapag hindi duty, of course, mask. Matic na yon. Then kapag on duty, I make sure na complete yung PPE and in condition siya. To be honest, I still have doubts or trust issues na kahit naka PPE ako, I don’t feel 100% safe, pero I need to let go of that fear eh, I need to think na kapag nagpadala ako sa takot na yon, hindi ako makakaperform nang maayos, hindi ko matutulungan yung mga patients, baka maging dahilan pa ako ng hindi nila paggaling. Minsan, kapag sobrang tagal ko na sa loob ng COVID ward, feeling ko exposed na ako pero thankfully, negative pa rin naman. Hindi lang talaga mawawala yung takot, kahit ilang ulit pa siguro ako magduty sa COVID ward. 

Machines

    Most especially in our fight against COVID-19, kailangan ng mga machines that offers RT-PCR, machines developed by Biorad, Sansure, GenXpert are some of those machines na ginagamit. As medtechs, we should make sure that they are functioning well, accurate ang marelease na result and even in the pre-analytical phase, dapat tama lahat from Sample collection and preparation to the testing proper itself. 

Rapid Test vs RT-PCR. 

Rapid test for the detection of COVID-19 provides an easy and fast way to know if you are “positive” or “negative” pero it doesn’t guarantee accuracy all the time. Perhaps, rapid tests can be used as a screening test but what’s recommended is that, before tagging anyone as negative and lalo na kapag IgM or IgG positive sa rapid kits, need parin ng swab test or RT-PCR testing, kasi what we detect in the swab test is the actual virus, kapag kasi rapid test, it’s the antibodies that we detect. So, if we want to detect early and active infection, RT-PCR talaga tayo, ang downside lang is matagal lumabas ang result, some hospitals 7 days, pero may iba naman na kaya ng 2-3 days, depende sa backlog. 

What do med techs do when there's a COVID-19 positive patient?

    Well, we treat everyone as carriers of the virus. So, everytime na haharap sa patients, complete PPE na dapat. Lalo kapag assigned sa swabbing section, hindi pwedeng haharap ka sa patients na walang protection. Sa mga ward namin, since COVID referral center kami, lahat is positive and PUI. Bago ka pumasok sa loob, automatic na complete PPE and we make sure na wala kaming dadalhin sa loob na dala parin namin paglabas. It’s good that a system and foot traffic was developed by our hospital and so far, okay naman siya, effective naman siya in making sure na hindi mainfect kaming health care workers. 

Do you feel underappreciated as a frontliner med tech and why? 

    To be honest, yes. Kung hind nga nangyari tong pandemic, baka hindi pa rin kami kilala e. Maybe, until now we are still fighting for higher compensation and benefits. Ngayon namang may pandemic, kaliwa’t kanan ang opportunities, ikaw ang mamimili pero nandoon naman 'yung discrimination samin, health workers in general. When people know that we work in a hospital, they discriminate us, parang pinandidirihan kami, I understand that nag-iingat lang sila but they don’t need to discriminate us. Pare-parehas naman tayong natatakot pero trabaho namin yon eh, we need to be there lalo’t kailangan kami ngayon, higit kailanman. 

Knowing that you are underpaid, how do you keep going? 

    Before accepting the job to be in the frontline service, ang tagal ko pinag-isipan. First problem ko was, ayaw ako payagan ng family ko. Even if higher pay compared to the usual payment for us, medtechs, ang offer, they were still against it and I completely understand. Deciding factor for me was as I watch the news, I get this feeling na parang kailangan ako ng trabaho ko, parang medtech ako pero nandito lang ako sa bahay and walang ginagawa. So I decided to accept the challenge. Minsan kasi hindi lang tungkol sa pera lahat ng bagay eh, it’s your passion to work and to help your country lalo ngayon na sobrang kailangan kami, but don’t get me wrong, lahat kami pagod na and hindi naman alam kung hanggang saan kami dadalhin nung passion namin at kagustuhang tumulong. At the end of the day, we need to protect ourselves and our family as well. 

Fighting discrimination

    I guess it all boils down to proper information dissemination. I think people need to know how the virus can be acquired and hindi porket nagwowork sa hospital is carrier na kami ng virus. Remember na kung nag-iingat kayo, mas nag-iingat kami kasi ayaw naming umuwi at makahawa pa. 

Current state

    I am tired. I am burnout. I am not okay. Seeing patients battle the disease alone, with no one on their side pains me. It affects me greatly and I am carrying that up until now that I am not on duty in the ward. Iniisip ko, paano kapag sakin nangyari or sa family ko? Parang hindi ko kakayanin. So, I always make it to a point to talk to them, ask them how they are doing and telling them that they will survive this and they will be home and be with their families soon. Honestly, this work is not healthy for anyone, but we need to be here, we need to do this because if not, who will? Everyday, I pray that I am safe, my family and friends are safe and sana matapos na ‘to, sana maflatten na yung curve and sana unti-unti, bumalik na tayo sa normal. 

   

That 7 days straight, 12 hrs duty sa COVID ward is really exhausting. Doon masasabi ko na overworked kami. But good thing is, our institution, gives us 14 days quarantine wherein makakapagpahinga kami, recover physically and mentally. Pero nandon pa rin yung takot kasi that’t the time that we wait for our swab results, everyday you wake up and worry about your health. What helps us is the company of our co-workers, making me realize that I am not the only one who accepted this, and I can really feel that we are all in this together. Walang iwanan kumbaga. Pray everyday na sana negative and makauwi na kami sa mga pamilya namin. 

The light in the tunnel

    I hope and pray that we get to survive this pandemic. I hope that it all ends. I think that’s what is important for now. I want to be with my family and friends, bond and take a vacation without worrying about all these. 

Message to the government 

    I want the government to know that if we continue to pretend like we are winning against this crisis, we will not flatten the curve. I know that you are doing measures that you think will help our country, but as we see it, we are far from winning. We need fresh ideas, new strategies. Sana po marunong tayong makinig sa tao, sana po we offer solutions and sana maramdaman namin yung genuine care niyo para sa amin. With all due respect, stop with all the unnecessary things, sana po may sense of urgency tayo, magtulungan tayo para matapos na ‘to. Alam kong pagod na kayo at pagod na rin kami. 

Message to fellow Filipinos 

    I know how hard this is to all of us, everyone is affected in one way or another, iisa lang tayo ng gusto, gusto na nating manalo, gusto na nating ma-flatten yung curve. Help us do this, do your part, make sure to be healthy for yourself and for others. 

Message to fellow frontliners 

I know that you are exhausted. I know that you are not okay. I know that you are afraid. But please hang on. Sana hindi tayo bumitaw, sana hindi natin sukuan ‘to kasi kailangan nila tayo. Alam kong hindi madali para sa ating lahat ‘to pero kailangan nating lumaban, hindi lang para sa sarili natin pero para sa iba. Para sa bayan. With what’s happening and with all that we are hearing nowadays, let’s choose to continue. Hindi madali pero kakayanin natin. We will flatten the curve.

A Day in a Life of a Nurse: Pandemic Edition

Read the other features on medical school series:

UST - Faculty of Medicine and Surgery

Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila -Medicine

UERM - Medicine

de La Salle -Medicine

San Beda University - Medicine

University of the Philippines - Medicine

FEU - NRMF Medicine

CEU - School of Medicine

St. Luke's College of Medicine

Saint Louis University - Medicine

University of Northern Philippines

and also a feature on how to ace NMAT:

Self-studying NMAT and a 90+ PR

Hi to all! My friend, Caryl, who I recently featured about her self-studying journey for NMAT here in my blog is selling cookies to help pay her lolo's hospital bill who is currently in the ICU at Providence Hospital. If you are interested in buying, just send her a message on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/cstllcryl) All your help would be appreciated! ( ◜‿◝ )♡

visit my blog: Behind the Medicine

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