Stories have been emerging over the weekend of the men and women we know through a sporting filter coming to the fore in the battle against Covid-19 as part of our Health Service.
To the fore in this has been the GAA and the IRFU whose international Women’s team has three of its members that would have hoped to finish out the Guinness Six Nations answering Ireland’s Call in a very different way.
The knowledge and understanding we have here in Irish sport of the importance of amateur sport is perhaps greater than in any other country and it is great to be able to highlight their work.
Irish Rugby produced a piece of original content written by one time Sport for Business 30 under 30 ‘graduate’ Ryan Bailey which went up close and personal with the story of Linda Djougang.
We were supposed to interview Linda on stage two weeks ago as part of Trinity College Dublin’s celebration of Women in Sport but we will get to do that when all this has passed and part of the questioning will involve the part she has played in helping that to happen.
Djougang is in her final year to qualify as a student nurse and is putting in her shifts at Tallaght Hospital, right on the front line of the Health Service and working on one of the Hospital’s Covid-19 Positive wards.
“It’s scary because you don’t really know what you’re going to encounter when you arrive for your shift,” Djougang told IrishRugby.ie.
“A week ago, it was a standard medical ward like any other hospital around the world but now it’s a totally different environment. I have to wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) all day. Hairnet, gloves, a yellow gown, goggles. You have to be fully covered. You’re scared for the patients and you’re scared for yourself.”
It is a powerful piece and well worth taking the time to read.
“It’s hard, it’s very sad. You know when you’re in there with patients some are dying and when you’re talking to them and caring for them, you know you could be the last person they ever see because no visitors are allowed.”
“I’ve had to call a family to tell them bad news. We have received good training and support from the hospital and at the end of the day our jobs as nurses have not changed – this is what we have trained for – but it’s hard.”
Djougang is one of three of the team to be involved with Claire McLaughlin on duty as a doctor in the Accident and Emergency Unit of the Ulster Hospital in Belfast and Claire Keohane getting ready to join the front line as a newly qualified doctor.
We owe a lot to these players for providing us with such energy as players. Now we know that the part they play in all our lives is so much more important again.
