More than 500 students and residents of OSMU work in the medical organizations together with doctors and nurses, helping regional healthcare during the pandemic. Medical Volunteers do their work in Outpatient Clinics: they measure temperature in patients, remind them about ordinary safety measures, and perform intra-hospital routing of patients.
Vasiliy, a 3rd-year student of the Pediatrics Faculty, works in the Omsk Hospital №3. He plans his shifts depending on the university schedule so that he does not miss any online classes, and there is no need to study and work at the same time. Five hours a day Vasiliy patiently and calmly explains to patients the importance of the temperature measuring at the hospital entrance.
Yulia SVISTUNIVA, a 2nd-year resident of the Internal Medicine Department, also works in the Outpatient Clinic and makes house-calls. She combines work with study, and as Yulia is going to become a general practitioner, it is a possibility for her to learn via examining patients with therapeutic pathology.
«Looking back, it seems so strange that in the first year of residency I had to deal with the excitement. Now, due to the increased number of patients, there is just no time for it. Sometimes I think, that nothing will scare us after the pandemic» - says Yulia.
The biggest challenge today is a dramatic increase of appointment numbers and house-calls. Yulia visits patients strictly in PPE, because if she falls ill, the senior colleagues will have to do this work, and all Yulia's patients will be required to be home quarantined. Understanding the seriousness of the situation, she strictly follows all measures: always and everywhere wearing a mask, cleaning hands, physical distancing, and avoiding social gatherings. Thanks to remote technologies, Julia can find time to study in her busy schedule.
«Seasonal spike in acute respiratory infection was expected, but we never predicted the scale of the pandemic. When people ask me if I have ever thought of quitting the profession because of COVID-19, I confidently say no. I believe that this situation will only make us stronger, but everyone needs to be patient now, and soon it will be easier for all of us,» - says Sergey.
Medical volunteers began to provide their help to regional healthcare this spring, but now, when the doctors are working to their human limits, this help is invaluable! Helping doctors and future colleagues during the pandemic is not an easy decision, but those who made it, do not regret it! It is a hard work both physically and mentally, but this is also a great opportunity to test yourself in extreme working conditions.
OSMU Press-Center