Kuk puts lives ahead of sport

OIL Search Papua New Guinea Orchids centre Amelia Kuk says she will put rugby league on the back burner to help save lives if coronavirus cases rise.
The qualified nurse will step into the intensive care unit at a hospital in Brisbane from Monday to help fellow Intensive Care Unit (ICU) nurses on the healthcare frontline to deal with any future Covid-19 cases.
PNG-born Kuk, who has generated a cult following in her native country, moved to Australia in 2008 and represented the Orchids at the 2017 Rugby League World Cup.
In between her rugby league commitments, the 24-year-old completed a degree in paramedics and nursing in Brisbane and has been working in the field full-time for a little more than 12 months.
In normal working conditions, Kuk said it was usually quite hard to get into ICU with the hierarchy of nursing.
“I saw it as a great opportunity to up-skill and deal with a lot of critically-ill patients, I was excited to help out and be an extra pair of hands,” Kuk said. “I’ve looked after patients so far who have tested negative but now that I’m going into ICU, it may be different.
“We don’t have many cases at the moment but there’s a lot of empty beds that are ready if cases do rise.
“I’ll definitely be more exposed to it in ICU. I’m fearful about that for my family at home and what I could bring back to them.
“But I’m not scared of the virus itself. Whatever I can do to be a help on the frontline, I’ll be happy.”
Kuk detailed the thorough restrictions and guidelines in place at the hospital, while her own methods at home ensured she had covered every possible safety avenue.
“I go through the back door of my house and place my work uniform straight in the wash before I have a shower,” she said.
“The car gets wiped down. There’s been a lot of things donated that have helped us at the hospital, even if it’s just some plastic satchels where we can place our phones in to take extra caution.
“We’ve shut down all the doors and entrances at the hospital. If you’re not staff, you can’t get in.
“Visiting hours are restricted for about one hour per patient and then you’re moved on fairly quick.”
Kuk has also felt the impact of the coronavirus pandemic in PNG from afar with eight confirmed cases in the country.
“My mum was actually tested and is up in the Highlands at the moment,” she said. “I spoke to a local doctor on the phone and he’s very stressed. The perks of working in Australia is there’s people doing admin and everything else separately, but for him he’s doing everything in remote areas.
“I got a feel of what it was like working back there. They don’t have enough resources and equipment.
“A lot of the nurses want to go on strike because they’re worried about putting their lives on risk.
“It’s scary to think about but I think the prime minister has done a good job to call a state of emergency straight away.
“Hopefully, the people of PNG can continue to follow the rules.”
Kuk recently said she would lean towards remaining on the frontline over the possibility of playing rugby league again this year, declaring she would be “much more use at work” despite signs that cases were beginning to flatline across Australia.
Kuk played for the Brisbane Broncos in their first NRL Women’s (NRLW) premiership win in the foundation year of 2018 but was sidelined last year due to an anterior cruciate ligament tear.
She managed one game returning from the injury for Souths Logan in Queensland’s BHP Premiership before the Covid-19 threat cancelled the remainder of the club season last month. – NRL.com