Editorial To Vima: A cry of anxiety and hope

The protracted nightmare that humanity has confronted for months is continuing. The second wave of the pandemic is mounting and lashing out.

Indeed, it appears more of a threat than the first phase because now one cannot look forward to spring and summer for many months.
This winter will be heavy and uncertain and the impact of the stubborn new virus will be combined with the additional burden of seasonal flu.

In this new battle against the “invisible enemy”, as the new coronavirus has become known, societies appear worn out and their patience and endurance are being exhausted.

In this emerging, murky terrain the beacon of hope that kept us standing and alive in the first battle with the pandemic are the doctors and hospital workers with green and white shirts.

Despite the great obstacles the morale – and the super-human efforts – of these people remains high and strong. That was clearly demonstrated in a letter that the department chiefs at Athens’ Evangelismos Hospital sent to the hospital’s chief administrator.

The letter warns that, “We are very close to the stage of not being able to offer proper medical services.” They tabled a series of proposals to bring about a more effective operation of the hospital and trumpeted their readiness to confront the new battle.

“In the first battle against the pandemic Evangelismos contributed the largest number of personnel, had the most developed infrastructure compared to any other hospital, and developed a pioneering organisation of COVID-19 clinics,” the letter reads.

“We are all very proud of the successful outcome of the first battle – the low death rate, successful hospital treatment, and zero internal transmission of the virus.

“We are again prepared to transcend ourselves with the guiding principle being “to benefit, or [at least] not to harm” [Hippocrates] which motivated us to submit this text.”

These doctors and their colleagues nationwide will be called upon in exhausting conditions to offer their best selves with self-denial and self-sacrifice for the common good.

Let us assist them in their work by faithfully implementing protective public health guidelines.

We can leave the “revolutions” for later.