• Home
• /
• coronavirus
• /
• Life and Living

UAE Covid-19: Emirati frontline worker describes early days of pandemic

Abu Dhabi - Amal Al Busaeedi worked at the Ghantout quarantine facility.

An Emirati woman in Abu Dhabi, who was among the first persons to volunteer to work at a quarantine facility when Covid-19 had just broken out, says she felt it was the perfect moment to give back to her nation.

Amal Al Busaeedi said when the Covid-19 pandemic began in the UAE, there was no question of “what I would do”.

“This was my moment to step up and give back to the nation. My military training, which I completed in 2019, prepared me for a crisis,” she said.

Al Busaeedi, the head of Technical Support Unit at the Emirates Red Crescent, had volunteered to work at the Ghantout quarantine facility of the organisation’s Crisis and Emergency Department.

The Emirati is among thousands of professionals and volunteers who have been recognised by the Frontline Heroes Office (FHO) for going beyond the call of duty to protect people’s health and wellbeing during the pandemic.

Since the outbreak of the virus, she has helped people to settle at the quarantine site, ensuring they have access to items including medication and are sufficiently comfortable to rest and recover, all while maintaining social distancing.

She describes the role as requiring “empathy, understanding and hope”.

“I don’t intend to leave until this crisis is finally over,” she says.

Early days of the pandemic

Describing the early days of the pandemic, Al Busaeedi said: “The virus came so quickly that no one knew what to expect. People arrived at the quarantine centre after landing at the airport looking terrified and not knowing what to do. They needed somebody to show them how to get through this.

“Hospitals sent us non-critical patients. We worked to calm them down because most came convinced that they were going to die. Those from other emirates often didn’t have extra clothes or private amenities with them. They needed everything and we ensured they were comfortable.”

She added: “That initial period was very difficult for me. In those days we would see 200 people or more in each hotel at a time, excluding their children. We were working nearly 24 hours a day and were lucky to sleep for even two hours. Whenever my phone rang, I had to be ready to get back to work.”

Infected her mother with Covid-19

Like many others fighting the pandemic, the hardest part for Al Busaeed was having limited access to loved ones. In her case, her desire to serve her nation may have caused harm to those she cared for most.

“The crisis really hit when I visited home for just a day to see my mother after three months away,” she said.