A beloved Filipino nurse tragically succumbed to Covid-19 shortly after being coughed on by a resident of Anwen Care Home in Bridgend, South Wales. The unfortunate incident occurred in March 2020 during the initial wave of the pandemic. Leilani Medel, 41, had volunteered to cover the night shift for a colleague, little knowing the devastating consequences that awaited her.
At the time, PPE was not mandatory for healthcare workers treating patients with lung problems and regular chest infections, as it was presumed that Leilani did not have Covid-19. There were no testing protocols in place for care homes, and the patient who coughed on her had been diagnosed over the phone by a GP. However, shortly after the incident, Leilani fell severely ill with Covid-19 and was admitted to the hospital on March 31 with a high fever. Despite being placed on a ventilator, she passed away from the virus on April 9.
Leilani Medel, a mother-of-one, had mixed emotions about taking on the fill-in shift at Anwen Care Home due to the high number of coronavirus cases reported there. She had not worked at the facility for more than five years. During her time there, she cared for two patients with Covid-19 symptoms while wearing PPE and two patients with suspected chest infections without protective gear.
The clinical lead at the care home, Janet Caffrey, who is now the manager, later learned that Leilani had expressed concerns about being coughed on. The decision not to use PPE was based on the patient’s pre-existing lung problems and regular chest infections, and testing was not readily available in care homes. The care home staff followed the guidance from Public Health Wales and government statements when making their decisions.
Leilani’s husband, Johnny Medel, spoke about his late wife, describing her as a beloved wife and mother who had a genuine passion for her job as a nurse. He admired her innocence and sincerity when providing care to her patients, especially the elderly. Johnny expressed immense pride in what Leilani had accomplished in her career and hopes people will remember her as a nurse who loved caring for others.
The inquest into Leilani’s death is ongoing. It is a heartbreaking reality that between March 9 and December 28, 2020, a total of 883 healthcare workers lost their lives to Covid-19 while caring for infected patients in hospitals and care homes, according to the Office for National Statistics. Shockingly, a significant number of these workers were nurses and healthcare professionals from the Philippines who made the selfless decision to relocate and work for the NHS.
In March of last year, Professor Tim Cook, alongside Dr. Simon Lennane, initiated an analysis of front-line worker deaths reported in the media. They discovered that, out of the 106 health and social care staff who had passed away by April 22, 63% belonged to non-white ethnic groups. Moreover, 19 of those were Filipinos, surpassing the combined total of the next five countries. This accounts for 18% of the deaths, an alarming statistic compared to Filipinos making up only 1.5% of the NHS workforce.
Dr. Lennane, a seasoned GP, was deeply moved as he delved into the stories of these healthcare workers. He remarked that they had left their families behind in the Philippines to serve the NHS, often prioritizing their patients over themselves. Their dedication and sacrifice are truly commendable.
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