I have been a nurse for 35 years, since I was 20, because I want to help the community. I like to help people since I was young. So my dream has come true. I myself am from the Bisaya tribe.
What were the times that impacted you most as a nurse?
I think the sad ones are when people find out that they are either terminally ill or very sick without being aware of their sickness. Their lack of knowledge literally killed them. For example, non-communicable diseases. Some would suddenly die because of their diseases such as hypertension and diabetes. Some would die of stroke. We initially had to approach the people of these diseases in order to raise awareness. They are more aware of it now.
Where would the past generations go to seek medical attention when there were no clinics or hospitals nearby?
To the Bomoh (a shaman). Or consume traditional medicine. Back then when someone has fits, they would say that a spirit is bothering them but in actual fact, that person is having high fever. When a person’s body temperature is too high, fits would start. But the belief in the olden days was that a spirit was bothering that particular person.
What was the treatment for that then at the time?
Probably smoke and start chanting spells. We would just sit back, watch and wonder whether is it true. However, when we started to be more exposed to these awareness campaigns, we then learn that being pestered by ghosts is not the cause for fits. It might have caused from infection, high fever and so on.
