Meet Rashida Hamir

The pandemic has changed our work on many levels. The care of the EGCCC’s needs are now our priorities. Our team is currently redeployed to support the facility with staff screening, feeding the residents and helping those residents who cannot wheel themselves up the ramp to get some sunshine or fresh air.

I’m doing tasks that I would have never dreamt of doing and therefore learning new things. I am also having to get more creative and really think outside of the box to continue looking after those who we would have usually cared for in person and those that I am helping support. We are doing telephone follow ups with our outpatients, who were previously enrolled in our Breathe Easy Standardized Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program. These patients are already at high risk due to their chronic lung disease. We’re also looking into doing some clinical work virtually at some point.

At the beginning of the screening process, I could feel a lot of anxiety in the staff. But now that we have been doing this for a while, the change in mood is refreshing. It is also gratifying to see all the staff coming together and working as a team regardless of what their position might be. It is times like this when team collaboration plays an important role.

The biggest inspiration for me is that in spite of the pandemic, we all show up every day to do what we do best. And that should be the essence of every human being.