A Filipina nurse working at Rashid Hospital in Dubai said that the appreciation of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, for our profession, “We feel that the nurses are our heroes.”
Commenting on her conversation - remotely - with his Highness in the Ramadan Council on May 13th, Jessa Don Obag / 31 years old told Emirates News Agency that the nursing profession is a tool for spreading hope and providing mental and emotional support to our patients in difficult times, so when he His Highness the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, my efforts, felt that he appreciated the efforts of all nurses who planted hope. "
"The words of His Highness inspired me and my fellow nurses to spread hope among patients and in society at large, as we nurses felt we were heroes," said Obag, who has been working at Rashid Hospital for six years.
Obag noted that nursing patients with infectious diseases carries many risks and requires wearing protection for several hours and sometimes sacrificing our personal needs.
"When patients are in a critical condition it becomes more stressful, so we, as nurses, support each other and try to make these patients feel that we are with them and that they are not alone."
"When critical patients recover and leave the hospital with a smile expressing their thanks to us, we feel the importance of the human side in our job."
Obagh, whose origins are from the Negros Oriental Province in the Philippines, said: “My conversation with His Highness, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, was an opportunity that I had, despite the fact that I am a foreigner, and as a Filipino citizen I can say that this is a tribute to the Filipino community in the UAE and all front-line workers.”
"It was a generous gesture from His Highness when he asked about my family and my life here. It is a special experience when your efforts are appreciated."
Obagh holds a Bachelor's degree in Nursing and moved to Dubai in 2014 after working in her country for three years.