One of the Filipino nurses helping in the frontline in the fight against the Covid-19 in the United Arab Emirates is a Cordilleran.
Red Cloude Decaleng Capuyan is one of the 75 nurses coming from various parts of the world, who are working in Abu Dhabi and were tapped to conduct a nationwide home visit swabbing mission implemented by the government.
There are 68 Filipinos, three Indians, two Ghanaians, and two Arabian nurses in their team performing the mission.
“I am proud to be part of this team in leading the home swabbing mission. As a Filipino nurse in this foreign country, it is my responsibility to serve this country, its people and our fellow expats as we build a healthy community for everyone,” Capuyan said.
The team were sent by their employer, Aspen Medical, to take part in the swabbing mission, which is part of the intensified government response against the pandemic.
It is done through home visits where residents are offered free Covid-19 tests to ensure that communities have access to screening especially the vulnerable and elderly residents.
The residents will then receive their test results after 24 to 48 hours through a text message.
Capuyan, also the founding president of the Philippine Nurses Association-UAE chapter, said the swabbing mission is part of the initiative of the larger UAE government’s mission to test all of its residents and provide the necessary medical care for those in need.
This was then followed by the directives of Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the crowned prince of Abu Dhabi and deputy supreme commander of the UAE Armed Forces, to protect the health, safety, and well-being of the UAE community; and curb the spread of the virus.
Capuyan, a Nursing graduate of Saint Louis University batch 2003, said their employer has provided the free educational training, food, hotel accommodation, and transportation for them to conduct the mission.
He was a nursing instructor of SLU before he decided to work abroad in 2015 and has qualified as a quality officer in Abu Dhabi.
Recently, he finished his international interprofessional wound care course at the University of Toronto, Canada.
“To all my fellow frontliners, thank you for being selfless, courageous, and for working tirelessly. You are the real heroes in this challenging period. But we will never give up, we will uphold our oath as healthcare professionals,” he said. – Ofelia C. Empian
April 26, 2024
