Tatjana Milanovic Lujic is a nurse working in Banjaluka at the Intensive Care Clinic of the University Clinical Centre of the Republika Srpska. She is in direct contact with people infected with SARS-CoV-2 virus. Among them are elderly people with dementia who can be very difficult to deal with due to their disease, but also children who see health workers dressed in protective suits as cartoon heroes.

Two months before the pandemic struck our country, she had undergone training on putting on personal protective equipment. She did not expect that the time would come when she would have to dress the protective suit and get ready for contact with patient in five minutes. Now, this is the least of problems: “It is a challenge to manage to save life of a person fighting for breath, while wearing a protective gown, mask, goggles, gloves and foot protection”.

She admits that working minimal eight-hour shifts, sometimes also during weekends, is rather difficult and demanding in the current circumstances. “I need to measure vital parameters, take blood samples and administer the prescribed therapy to patients several times a day. Therapy is often being modified because of their serious medical condition and that requires additional caution from nurses”, Tatjana explains. 

Her message to the citizens is to stay home, because most of us can carry the virus without having symptoms. Thus, the virus can be transmitted unknowingly to someone close to us, elderly or with an underlying medical condition, and thus jeopardize their life. “Trust me that this is the only thing we expect from you as a sign of appreciation for what we do”, Tatjana adds.