OTGV #34 - SARS Memories
Broadcast Date: 28/07/03
To the rest of Singapore, the SARS deaths were for a time, target of a morbid fascination of how high the SARS death toll could climb.
But to the families who have to cope with the loss of their loved ones, the pain's onset is sudden, the void immeasurable.
Hi, Welcome to On the Grapevine with me Chong Ching Liang.
The SARS Commemoration night was meant to be a nation's salute to the SARS victims and their families.
But only three families who lost their loved ones to SARS showed up.
Most want to move on and deal with their grief privately without the glare of the media.
"Life still goes on and.... I think everybody will continue to do and.... just let her leave in peace lah."
Singapore too hopes to move on and put a closure to the SARS chapter in its history.
Unfortunately, the victims' families journey is far from over says social worker Timothy Koh.
"There's a lot of unanswered questions. There's still having to go thru some discrimination, some of them may have lost their jobs as a result of SARS. A lot of them have to find ways to pick the pieces back together. There's still a lot of emotional issues with maybe lost relationships, for some who have lost their loved ones. grief issues and many other financial issues. Its far from over for a lot of them."
Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong sends his condolences and hopes a nation's sympathy will help ease the pain of those with fallen loved ones.
"To the grieving families, I offer the nation's deepest sympathies. I know that my words cannot fill the void in your heart, or the emptiness in your home. But I hope that you take some comfort in knowing that you are not alone in your grief. The nation shares your sorrow."
The commemoration ceremony was to remember not to mourn.
The National Health Group and the Tan Tock Seng team produced a video for the Health Ministry to help Singaporeans see the human face behind the SARS statistics.
A colleague remembers nurse Hamidah for her optimism and the thumb-up signs she flashed even when she was very ill.
"She speaks her mind, very straightforward and I think, one thing that I really learnt about her is if only you know and you would like her. When she is pretty sick, in ICU, so we have a glass-door, she used to no matter how sick you just have to knock on the door and she opens her eyes she will say like this to you."
Outgoing Health Minister Lim Hng Kiang had led the most remarkable of fights against SARS.
His ministry's containment measures stopped SARS in its tracks.
On the commemoration day, Mr Lim apologised to the families for the pains caused by these policies.
"All of us are saddened by the loss of lives in this outbreak. To the friends, relatives and families of the deceased, we regret the pain and grief that you had to go through in the face of restrictions even in the final moments with them."
SARS victims in their death bed haven't the comfort of loved ones for fear that they'll catch the disease.
The victims cross from the living realm alone as he lies in an isolation room.
"Dear uncle, you left without families or friends to comfort you in your last moments here. You left without farewells, nor prayers, memorials to bless your soul. A sojourn that you have planned to see God's holy shrine in India when you turned 63, but alas, you left with dreams unfulfilled. Just a month shy of 63. We miss your smile, mourn your untimely death, but like the unseen breeze, you remain in our hearts."
But each individual death contains moments that will be indelibly etched in memories of the grieving families.
Here they are:
A son's farewell to his father through a phone line.
"When I got there, blood pressure was zero. Heart I supposed has stopped already lah. But the ECG was still beating away. I picked up the intercom and I told him, dad this your son, Gerard here, I said, you can go. Don't hang on for nothing. Just go. You know, just go and meet the lord. And I put down the phone, I went back to the glass-panel in front of the ICU suite, and it went to zero."
A wife's gift to her husband to be a better father.
"She wanted actually my son to be, yeah to be successful in his life. I will work towards it .... she is my inspiration and she will be my inspiration even though she won't be around."
An inspiration to a colleague.
"She put up a good fight. Yeah, for herself and for her family. Nurses will remember her for her dedication ... for her fighting spirit."
The children's loss.
"When mama is not working and she will bring us to Orchard Rd and buy for us clothes and toys. My mom bought these toys for me last year and I will treasure it."
The dawning realisation and pain of returning to normal life without a treasured friend, or relative.
A SARS victim's family member on the change in his life.
"I will take one day at a time. When you reach the bridge then you cross."
A son's lament and hope at the final moment.
"He's taken away so quickly and so abruptly, you know, I have no chance for a final father-son goodbye. How I cope with it basically just come down to faith. Faith of knowing that maybe someday I will see him again."
Singapore's leaders tell us that SARS united a whole country.
And it has.
But the families would rather have their loved ones back as they strive to pick up the pieces.
This is Chong Ching Liang with Newsradio 938.
==========================
Related Links:
Newsradio 938 (now 938Live)
http://www.938live.sg/
Ministry of Health
http://www.moh.gov.sg/corp/sars/index.html
National Healthcare Group
http://www.nhg.com.sg/index2.htm
Tan Tock Seng Hospital
http://www.ttsh.com.sg/asp/index.asp
To the rest of Singapore, the SARS deaths were for a time, target of a morbid fascination of how high the SARS death toll could climb.
But to the families who have to cope with the loss of their loved ones, the pain's onset is sudden, the void immeasurable.
Hi, Welcome to On the Grapevine with me Chong Ching Liang.
The SARS Commemoration night was meant to be a nation's salute to the SARS victims and their families.
But only three families who lost their loved ones to SARS showed up.
Most want to move on and deal with their grief privately without the glare of the media.
"Life still goes on and.... I think everybody will continue to do and.... just let her leave in peace lah."
Singapore too hopes to move on and put a closure to the SARS chapter in its history.
Unfortunately, the victims' families journey is far from over says social worker Timothy Koh.
"There's a lot of unanswered questions. There's still having to go thru some discrimination, some of them may have lost their jobs as a result of SARS. A lot of them have to find ways to pick the pieces back together. There's still a lot of emotional issues with maybe lost relationships, for some who have lost their loved ones. grief issues and many other financial issues. Its far from over for a lot of them."
Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong sends his condolences and hopes a nation's sympathy will help ease the pain of those with fallen loved ones.
"To the grieving families, I offer the nation's deepest sympathies. I know that my words cannot fill the void in your heart, or the emptiness in your home. But I hope that you take some comfort in knowing that you are not alone in your grief. The nation shares your sorrow."
The commemoration ceremony was to remember not to mourn.
The National Health Group and the Tan Tock Seng team produced a video for the Health Ministry to help Singaporeans see the human face behind the SARS statistics.
A colleague remembers nurse Hamidah for her optimism and the thumb-up signs she flashed even when she was very ill.
"She speaks her mind, very straightforward and I think, one thing that I really learnt about her is if only you know and you would like her. When she is pretty sick, in ICU, so we have a glass-door, she used to no matter how sick you just have to knock on the door and she opens her eyes she will say like this to you."
Outgoing Health Minister Lim Hng Kiang had led the most remarkable of fights against SARS.
His ministry's containment measures stopped SARS in its tracks.
On the commemoration day, Mr Lim apologised to the families for the pains caused by these policies.
"All of us are saddened by the loss of lives in this outbreak. To the friends, relatives and families of the deceased, we regret the pain and grief that you had to go through in the face of restrictions even in the final moments with them."
SARS victims in their death bed haven't the comfort of loved ones for fear that they'll catch the disease.
The victims cross from the living realm alone as he lies in an isolation room.
"Dear uncle, you left without families or friends to comfort you in your last moments here. You left without farewells, nor prayers, memorials to bless your soul. A sojourn that you have planned to see God's holy shrine in India when you turned 63, but alas, you left with dreams unfulfilled. Just a month shy of 63. We miss your smile, mourn your untimely death, but like the unseen breeze, you remain in our hearts."
But each individual death contains moments that will be indelibly etched in memories of the grieving families.
Here they are:
A son's farewell to his father through a phone line.
"When I got there, blood pressure was zero. Heart I supposed has stopped already lah. But the ECG was still beating away. I picked up the intercom and I told him, dad this your son, Gerard here, I said, you can go. Don't hang on for nothing. Just go. You know, just go and meet the lord. And I put down the phone, I went back to the glass-panel in front of the ICU suite, and it went to zero."
A wife's gift to her husband to be a better father.
"She wanted actually my son to be, yeah to be successful in his life. I will work towards it .... she is my inspiration and she will be my inspiration even though she won't be around."
An inspiration to a colleague.
"She put up a good fight. Yeah, for herself and for her family. Nurses will remember her for her dedication ... for her fighting spirit."
The children's loss.
"When mama is not working and she will bring us to Orchard Rd and buy for us clothes and toys. My mom bought these toys for me last year and I will treasure it."
The dawning realisation and pain of returning to normal life without a treasured friend, or relative.
A SARS victim's family member on the change in his life.
"I will take one day at a time. When you reach the bridge then you cross."
A son's lament and hope at the final moment.
"He's taken away so quickly and so abruptly, you know, I have no chance for a final father-son goodbye. How I cope with it basically just come down to faith. Faith of knowing that maybe someday I will see him again."
Singapore's leaders tell us that SARS united a whole country.
And it has.
But the families would rather have their loved ones back as they strive to pick up the pieces.
This is Chong Ching Liang with Newsradio 938.
==========================
Related Links:
Newsradio 938 (now 938Live)
http://www.938live.sg/
Ministry of Health
http://www.moh.gov.sg/corp/sars/index.html
National Healthcare Group
http://www.nhg.com.sg/index2.htm
Tan Tock Seng Hospital
http://www.ttsh.com.sg/asp/index.asp
posted by CHONG Ching-liang | 3:19 PM
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