Prepare health workers

CORONAVIRUS is the enemy. It surrounds us.
It is active in Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Singapore, Philippines and in the Pacific Islands of French Polynesia and Guam.
It is in some 220 countries around the world.
It is at the gates and will almost certainly get into Papua New Guinea soon.
When the country is under attack and being threatened by a deadly enemy, we need to be prepared with front line troops who will fight to protect the nation.
Our front line troops who will do battle to protect us are our doctors, nurses and health workers in our hospitals, health centres, clinics, and pharmacies across the country.
I pray with all my heart that these front line troops are being prepared for the coming conflict.
They need to be given knowledge of the enemy – coronavirus.
They need training, and they need to be equipped and armed with everything that will protect them from infection so that they will not be afraid to face the enemy at close quarters.
Is this happening? Are our doctors, nurses and all health staff being educated, trained and equipped to deal with the coming epidemic?
Are they being issued with face masks and gloves and gowns and all the necessary clothing and protective gear they will need?
They need all this stuff now, before the virus is active in the community.
Otherwise they will be in the greatest danger of getting sick.
I am 83 years old, which means that if I get coronavirus there will be a 15 per cent chance that I will die.
Clearly I will need careful nursing. I do not like to think that caring for me would put the lives of others at risk.
When this virus arrives and becomes active in the community, Papua New Guineans will be put to the test.
Are we ready? How will we respond?
We are going to need each other more than we ever have before.
Our sick will need to be cared for and our health will need to be protected.
You will not be protecting me or anybody else if you are someone who coughs and spits or if you are someone who does not keep yourself clean, especially your hands, or if you are careless about going into crowds, or if you do not support and respect health workers.
If we are going to get through this coming challenge and come out stronger and better people at the end of it, we must put all our resources behind our health workers and support them to the maximum.
And we must treat each other and everyone in the community with total respect, just as we want to be treated ourselves.

Fr John M. Glynn OL,
The WeCARe Foundation