The world of Tzu Chi September-October 2021 (Vol.137)

2021 • 10 32 ovid-19 Relief on the day of extubation, like old friends meeting again after a long absence. It is a doctor’s greatest joy to see a patient recover. She sent me a message on the day she was discharged, and I replied, “Thank you for your courage. Your recovery has given us hope.” Life exists in between breaths However, not everyone is so fortunate. There was a 38-year-old Covid-19 patient, whose conditions did not improve since he was intubated. His condition was very critical and I was tasked to call and inform his wife to prepare mentally for the inevitable. I will never forget her tearful plea: “Doctor, you must save my husband. Our three children are waiting for him to come home!” The couple have three children aged four, five and eight. Holding the phone, I was helpless and sad. She had entrusted her husband’s life to me, but I could not do anything for him. At the last moments of his life, I watched him through the glass window, witnessing his blood oxygen levels dropping until I could not bear to see it anymore. The moment I turned around and left, the ECG machine showed a flatline. He had departed just like that. To us, we failed to save a life. To his family, they had lost a father, a complete family and the focus and hope of their lives. A shift in perspective – the first step to letting go We constantly give our best efforts, but life is fragile. This is especially so for patients in the ICU. No matter how hard we try, there are times when we are powerless to save their lives. In the beginning, I would always reflect if I had done enough and sometimes blamed myself for not being able to save my patients. This brought tremendous pressure. It was not until later that I came to realize that it is not always possible to save a patient’s life despite our best efforts. It is not a sure-win battle, but what matters most is that we put in our tireless efforts unwaveringly. I am grateful to have Master Cheng Yen’s teachings as my beacon along the way. My exposure and faith in Buddhist teachings have helped me to accept, let go and shift my perspectives. Death is not just about the end of the heartbeat and the breath. Our duties as doctors go beyond death. It is also our role to offer the family emotional support, to listen to them and be attentive to their needs. In order to face the death-dealing Covid-19 virus, it is essential for us to put in all our efforts to bring peace to the mind. As a doctor and a disciple of Master, I take it as my mission to safeguard my patients and their families with love and compassion. It may be physically tiring, but I believe that by taking some time to call and say, “Do not worry, we will do our best,” I can give some assurance to patients’ families. Then, everything becomes worthwhile even if it means lesser rest time. Standing firm on my mission During the pandemic, among other things, Tzu Chi also provided timely assistance to dozens of medical institutions through provisions of medical equipment and supplies worth more than RM20 million in total, with funds gathered from the general public. The call for donation of RM10.13 (homonymous of ‘one person, one good