Afro GP Herts give carers a helping hand

Members of Afro GP Herts have been delivering essential groceries to nursing home staff.

Afro GP Herts decided to raise cash to deliver essential items to 14 nursing homes across the county – with GPs visiting to deliver the goodies, which included fresh fruit, bread, eggs and pasta.

They also took the time to tell the carers how much their efforts were appreciated.

On Thursday, April 23, and Friday, April 24, some GPs in Hertfordshire went to selected nursing homes to show their support for the carers in those homes.

Dr Charles Esene, of Afro GP Herts, explained: “In the UK, the numbers of death being mentioned in the news are for those who die from Covid-19 in the hospitals. The huge numbers dying in the care homes are unaccounted for at the moment.

“In the same vein, whilst a lot of praise and support, and rightly so, is being given to frontline NHS workers, the carers in the care homes toiling to care for the residents of these homes, some of which are being ravaged by this pandemic also seem unnoticed.

“As GPs, we work directly with the care homes, we see first-hand the impact of the virus on the nursing and residential homes, and we also see the efforts by the care home staff on caring for these patients in these very difficult times.

“We recognise them as ‘Frontline Fighters’ in the battle against this pandemic.”

Whilst NHS staff may get ‘speedy’ entrance into some supermarkets, a carer who has done a long night shift will still have to queue.

Afro GP Herts is an educational forum for GPs of African descent working and/or living in Hertfordshire. At present the group has 75 members and some who have joined from neighbouring Bedfordshire.

Its members are frontline NHS workers working in GP surgeries, urgent treatment centres, out of-hours bases and visiting shifts.

Dr Esene added: “This gesture has been met with a great deal of gratitude from the care homes visited and the doctors involved are very happy that they have been able to impact some lives and put a smile on a weary face.

“Next month we will be carrying out another initiative to support our community.”