Sunday, April 17, 2011

A Nurse's Note vol.6 "Lifeline and Bonding"

This is a blog entry by a Japanese nurse who joined emergency response team at shelters in damaged area.  Originally, these entries were written in Japanese, and spoken widely in Japanese.  I decided to translate and summarize her notes in English, so that more people can understand what is actually going on in Japan.

She is a nurse who works in Tokyo, and her hospital formed emergency medical response team after series of massive earthquake and tsunami hit Eastern Japan on March 11, 2011.
You can find the previous entry in here: A Nurse's Note vol.5 "Lost Life, New Life"
(Translation)


In the night of March 18, 2011

We got the electricity back in our shelter, school gym, with time restraint!
We were all so happy, and clapped hands and cried together.
Because everybody in Japan saved power for us, so the power in damaged area were recovered earlier than as planned.
It was very great moment, and felt we were all united and supported.

The day I arrived, it was snowing, and people here said, "There must be no God or Buddha in this world."
However, now I can proudly say there are lots of live people who have warm heart in this world.
I know this is just the beginning, and will be harder. So I hope everybody's warm heart will be shared in the nation.


Back in the afternoon

A siren rang at 14:46 today, and we all prayed with silence.
I looked at evacuees' tear and felt a week went so fast.

After one week, I felt people need more mental support now.

As we have more emergency patients or patients who need to be admitted, the fuel for emergency vehicles is running out, hospitals are full, medical supplies are running out and so on.
Everytime we face new problems, we felt hopeless.
But still need to stand strongly in this situation.

We did not only treated emergency patients, but also supported other nurses from this area, so that they could rest.
Measuring blood pressure, consultation with patients, checking on admitted patients.
The elevator in building had been stopped, so we went up stairs to carry meals in 5-story hospital.
If we have any spare time, make a fire to boil water.
24 hours was definitely not enough time for this.

In 2 hours of sleep, I was still thinking what I can use this time more effectively, and writing this down was the best I could come up with.


With a light is ligten up, I could see the bonding and united with people in the nation.
A bulb seemed very warm.


Our hard work became apparent like this, and made me feel like working harder.



Continued to volume 7 "Runa-chan (Little Runa)".

Source: http://blog.goo.ne.jp/flower-wing

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