Between hope & anguish: Senegalese male nurse at the frontline of COVID-19

He is one of the many heroes of the pandemic, working hard to avoid the worst effects of covid-19. Senegalese Malamine Mané is an emergency nurse at Pikine in the east of the capital Dakar.

The 43- year old shares with us his daily life, on the front line of the fight against the virus, between hope and anguish.

“We have no choice, from the moment you choose to be a nurse, to practice this profession. I think it’s a source of pride to be a nurse, to be able to help people, to be able to help them recover their health”, Mané said.

I think it's a source of pride to be a nurse, to be able to help people, to be able to help them recover their health.

Being a nurse, is a vocation for Malamine, and one that carries risks during this pandemic. But he has some reservations.

“My great fear is that someone will come here, be positive or be a contact case, and come into contact with my family. As soon as I get home, I have already raised awareness. Once I arrive, I knock on the door, they open me. My eldest daughter, who is 6 years old, I prepared her. I told her said that as soon as I come, you shouldn’t come and kiss me. Give me time to put my bag down, wash my hands, wash my hands with alcohol”, the nurse said.

Senegal has nearly 1,000 cases of coronavirus and 9 deaths. After weeks of restrictions, the government has rolled out one of West Africa’s largest aid programs to provide food to nearly half of its 16 million people.

AFP