Episode 91: What We Owe To Each Other

In this episode, we have a very special guest — a long-time friend of ours, Dr. Vania, who is a second-year clinical nutrition resident currently based in Jakarta. We wanted to talk to her about the experience doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals have as the COVID-19 outbreak started to spread in Indonesia, especially in Jakarta. We talk through the early days of the pandemic and how stressful it was for doctors and nurses, especially with the shortage in PPE (personal protective equipment) at the time. Vania shares some of her personal insights and experiences about what a lot of doctors were going through as they were trying to deal with the virus — and the sense of danger and fear many felt during this time. We also talk about some of the improvements that have happened since then, with shorter shifts and free frequent testing.

Finally, we talk about how we as a society need to not only thank our amazing medical professionals for fighting on the front lines, but also do our part in making the situation better for them — instead of just valorizing their work (and for some, their sacrifice). It is during these times that we need to be fighting for our doctors and nurses and medical professionals — just like how they are fighting for us!

Also, we want to note that these are all Vania’s personal views and do not represent the views of the hospitals or organizations she’s worked at or is currently working at.