Heroes Unmasked: Love in the time of Covid-19 – volunteers to ‘sayang’ healthcare workers on Valentine’s Day

SINGAPORE — The desire to do something to reach out to the healthcare workers who have been working round-the-clock at the frontlines during the coronavirus outbreak has been stirring in their minds for a week.

Then came the news of two primary school girls who used their pocket money to buy and deliver breakfast to doctors and nurses last Saturday (Feb 8).

For Mr Wally Tham, 43, Ms Khee Shi Hui, 37, and Ms Chong Yan Bing, 32, that was the final push they needed.

“Eventually, we looked at each other and said, ‘Let’s just do this’,” he said.

Mr Tham is from StandUpForSG — a community group which summarised its mission as standing up for the people who matter.

He, his two organisers and a team of volunteers soon started canvassing for support from the public to bring cheer to healthcare workers, to pen messages of encouragement or to thank them for serving despite their personal fears or exhaustion. In short, to sayang or to show some affection to them.

Those who wish to do so may submit their messages on social media through the hashtag #BraveHeartSG and the volunteers will help to print and distribute them on Friday, which is Valentine’s Day, to the doctors, nurses and other people working in the healthcare sector including ambulance drivers, cleaners and maintenance workers.

As of noon on Wednesday, the group has received more than 800 messages and 10 volunteers have stepped up to help distribute the printed messages. Mr Tham said that these volunteers are mostly young adults.

Among the messages received, many have expressed admiration for the brave healthcare professionals and some children have done artwork to show their appreciation.

Mr Tham said that the group wanted the frontline workers who may be feeling discouraged and isolated to know that their efforts are appreciated and supported. 

“What I see is that their work is very invisible and I think (if I were them), I would wonder whether people know what I’m going through… I want them to know that there are thousands of people who care and who love them.”

The trio, along with the other volunteers, will also be giving out drinks and snacks to the administrative staff members of six hospitals who have agreed to this initiative — Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, National University Hospital (NUH), Ng Teng Fong General Hospital, Singapore General Hospital and Tan Tock Seng Hospital.

The gifts and messages will then be distributed to the healthcare workers internally since the hospitals are out of bounds to the public who do not have a medical purpose for being there. 

As a trial run, the volunteers decided to work out the logistics by having a distribution on Tuesday at the Kent Ridge MRT Station outside of NUH.

“Many of (the healthcare workers) were commuting between buildings, so they could not stop to chat for very long. But they did say ‘thank you’,” Mr Tham said.

Some staff members in research departments refused the cards because they felt that those should go to the doctors and nurses who deserved to get the messages more.

“But (to me) they are all part of the system that makes it work and we want to appreciate all of them in the medical service. So we are trying to print as many cards as we can to give them out to everyone,” he added.

Apart from dropping off the messages and gifts, the group intends to go to MRT stations near the hospitals to try to give out more cards. 

When asked what he hopes is the message Singaporeans will take away from their campaign, Mr Tham said: “I believe that when we see other people loving other people, we will remember that we can.

“Anxiety is the fear of a certain future and I don’t blame people for feeling anxious. But we need a future that works, not one where we are all sitting alone at home clutching our masks and disinfectants in fear. 

“We should be able to be with each other and care for each other in a responsible way,” he said.