It’s no secret that healthcare professionals around the world are pushing their way through the Coronavirus pandemic. Maltese doctors are part of the lot, but specialists Dr Edward Despott and Prof. Ludvic Zrinzo are working tirelessly in London hospitals. Their experience was compiled in a Times of Malta article, where they shared the real, and sometimes harrowing, realities of such a surreal situation.

The Endoscopy Hero - Dr Edward Despott

Dr Despott is Clinical Head of Endoscopy at the Royal Free Hospital and a world-renowned expert in the field of small-bowel endoscopy and minimally invasive resection in the area.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has hit London hard. Like an unseen enemy in the fog of war, this minuscule infectious agent threatens us daily and has flipped the way we practice on its head,” he says.

“Most of our wards have now been converted to ‘COVID wards’ and our already large intensive care unit has had to expand several-fold in order to keep our capacity ahead of the ever-increasing demand for ventilator-equipped beds.”

He shares that what used to be a busy unit focusing on endoscopy has now been transformed into one that is only performing lifesaving emergency procedures in patients affected by the virus, while obviously dressed in personal protection equipment (PPE) from head to toe.

He shares that the global shortage of face-shields has lead him and his team to publish step-by-step instructions on how to make disposable ones using inexpensive and universally available  materials.

He also shares the struggles healthcare workers are facing on a psycho-social level. “For us healthcare professionals living abroad, the complex dimension of dealing with patient-related tragedies daily is compounded by the distant separation from our loved ones. This has put our lives ‘on-hold’,” he says, further appealing to the public in general to adhere to social distancing measures and hygiene practices at a precautionary level.

The Neurology Hero - Prof. Ludvic Zrinzo

Prof. Zrinzo is a neurosurgeon at The National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in London and is another renowned local doctor, particularly for his pioneering work in Parkinson’s disease.

 “A tiny particle, less than a millionth of a millimetre across, disrupted our world. Most of the neurosurgical operations I perform are elective so they can wait,” he admits in a message to website COVID-19: As it Happens.

“Our teams rose to this new challenge. Our specialist nurses still support patients and we have embraced the gruelling, long hours in personal protective equipment, taking care of the sickest COVID-19 patients.  Many of us have contracted COVID-19... and returned to work as soon as they were able,” he said, showing that the fight never stops.

He shares that once he leaves his shift at the ITU, removes the PPE and washes his hands once again, he heads towards his office to give patient relatives an update on how their loved one is faring, and sometimes, having an incredibly difficult conversation with families, informing them that their loved one’s journey on this Earth has come to an end.

 “Forced disruption is a time to contemplate. I hope those times will return soon so I can help those very patient patients whose lives have been put on hold, both in London and Malta.”