Preet Makker is a new intern at The Royal Prince Alfred Hospital (RPA) in Sydney and has fast-tracked his career to help a system battling to cope with the recent influx of Omicron cases.
“We know that the healthcare system is stressed, so it feels good to be able to contribute,” he says.
Dr Makker, 28, is among 1,073 new medical interns to arrive at New South Wales hospitals during the Omicron peak, setting a new record for any state or territory. Many, including Dr Makker, started a week early in 2022.
As a Sikh, he says serving the community is one way to fulfil his medical oath while also practising the principles of his faith.
“During the pandemic, it all kind of comes down to that; just to be of help and of service.”
He is also proud that on the wards, his beard and head covering are respected.
Dr Makker (left) migrated to Australia from India with his family as a child. Source: Supplied Preet Makker
“Wearing a turban and keeping hair, that part of the faith is really important.”
Dr Makker, who was born in India's capital New Delhi and migrated to Australia as a child, has been working at RPA as an assistant in medicine while completing his medical degree.
Interns are required to complete a year under supervision in order to become independent practitioners, rotating between metropolitan and regional hospitals and in areas including surgery and emergency medicine.
“We have just finished our orientation and now we're just getting used to the wards and the job,” he says.
“It is a challenging time for everyone, not just within the hospital, but within the community as well.”
Community groups stepping up
The pressure is most intense in Sydney’s south and west where COVID-19 caseloads are highest.
over staffing, pay and conditions on Tuesday. It is the first such strike action in almost a decade.
Community groups including Feed Our Medics are among those that have been stepping up to support Australia’s weary army of healthcare professionals. The registered charity was set up two years ago by mother-of-two Joeline Hackman who saw the stress and exhaustion her anaesthetist husband Greg was experiencing each day.
Feed Our Medics uses donations to pay for healthy, ready-to-eat meals and has so far delivered more than 2,000 food boxes since COVID-19 first hit.
Joeline Hackman is the co-founder of Feed Our Medics. Source: SBS Sandra Fulloon
“We deliver to frontline healthcare workers at hospitals predominantly, and we supply those from COVID-safe cafes,” says Ms Hackman, who lives on Sydney’s northern beaches.
“Many of these nurses give and give and find it very hard to accept help themselves. So when we deliver the meals, the first thing nurses say is: ‘don't forget the cleaners, and make sure you don't forget the paramedics.’”
Feed Our Medics currently delivers to eight Sydney hospitals, including RPA, as well as Bankstown, Liverpool and Nepean.
Australian College of Nursing CEO Kylie Ward is among those grateful for the support. She says nursing caseloads have increased exponentially during the pandemic.
“Pre-COVID, they worked with a caseload of one to three, one to four in the ward settings. And now that's increased to one to 11, one to 15.
“The pressure and stress is unlike anything nurses have ever experienced and it's creating moral injury for many nurses.”
Melanie Kai Murray owns Pure Wholefoods Café in Manly which supplies about 50 meals each week for delivery to local hospitals.
“We put these really beautiful meals together for all of our nurses, including vegan wraps. We also have protein-based options served with our fresh salads that we make daily.”
Ms Murray, who migrated to Australia from California in 2020, says the opportunity is good for business.
“In Manly, we rely on tourism, and that's just pretty much dead.”
But it's more about giving back.
“It is really vital that when we have people that care for us so much, we are in turn building them up with a meal that lets them know that we care for them,” she says.
“[Some nurses] are almost in tears when they send back a thank you video”.
While hospital admissions in NSW declined this week, during January the number of patients admitted with COVID-19 was growing by more than 120 a day. Last month, nurses expressed their frustration at staffing levels outside Liverpool Hospital.
Melanie Kai Murray supplies 50 meals each week to nurses. Source: SBS Sandra Fulloon
Nurses at RPA in Sydney are considering a full-day strike on Tuesday, while nurses at Westmead and Cumberland hospitals will likely strike for 12 hours. Rallies will also be held in regional areas as part of a push by the NSW Nurses and Midwives' Association for better staff to patient ratios.
Ms Ward says nurses are exhausted after two years of battling the pandemic, with many close to breaking point.
“I am alarmed by the hundreds of nurses contacting me and wanting to get out of the system for their own health and wellbeing.
“I've heard from nurses who are working double shifts on their days off, or not getting any time off. One nurse told me that she's worked 12 days straight.”
I am alarmed by the hundreds of nurses wanting to get out of the system for their own health and wellbeing. - Kylie Ward, Australian College of Nursing CEO
And it’s not just nurses who need support.
Lisa Hollinshead came to Australia from Manchester in the UK 13 years ago and co-founded One Another Community.
The social media-based community connects helpers with people who need grocery shopping, pet walking or are lonely and in need of a friendly chat. It supports not only medical teams but families that have lost income or are still in isolation.
“We've been inundated in 2022. We are surprised by how many people have signed up,” Ms Hollinshead says.
One Another Community co-founder Lisa Hollinshead with her son Albie. Source: SBS Sandra Fulloon
“We started last year with 200 volunteers who dedicated 20,000 hours to help make this a reality and we now have more than 5,000 members on the One Another Community app, which is growing by 500 daily.”
The 37-year-old is also busy running her own PR company and raising her son Albie but says she stops to take note each time she sees people connecting through the community.
“I feel really proud every time I see a connection happen. It's very humbling.”
Intern Dr Makker says he is grateful for the gestures of kindness individuals are making happen across the state.
Dr Makker at RPA. Source: SBS Sandra Fulloon
“To see the community responding and showing that appreciation is just great.”
