Front-liner’s heroism saves patient’s life

FILE: Neil Jane Tribiana, a 22-year-old nurse from Catanduanes. (Photo courtesy of Rodriguez family via PNA)

LEGAZPI CITY – Despite the risk and fear of contracting coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), a 22-year-old nurse from Catanduanes did not hesitate to accompany a patient who suffered a stroke from the island province to the mainland.

Neil Jane Tribiana, a resident nurse of Immaculate Heart of Mary Hospital Island of Catanduanes Inc. told the Philippine News Agency that her desire to help pushed her to attend to the need of the patient and his family.

“Masaya po akong natulungan ko sila sa maliit na bagay na ginawa ko. Natural po sa mga nurses na maging caring, nagkataon lang po siguro na ako ang available. (I am very happy that I was able to help them in my simple way. It is also natural for all nurses to be caring and it just so happened that I was available at the moment they needed help), Tribiana said in a recent phone interview.

She, however, admitted having fear before deciding to accompany the patient.

“Ga duwa-duwa ako ta syempre baga magamo ta delikado baga tapos iniisip ko po baka iquarantine ako pag balik ko sa isla saka may duty ako kinabukasan and dakol na pong factor para mag dai. Nag hapot po ako sa mother ko sabi nya risky daw po and birthday nung sister ko (I had second thoughts about going. I was thinking about my hospital duty, the possibility of having to undergo a 14-day quarantine, the risk I would take and also my sister’s birthday),” she said.

In a separate interview, Jhon Paul Rodriguez, a brother of the patient, said his elder brother was diagnosed having a blood clot in the brain after suffering a stroke.

“Since there is no resident neurologist in the province, our family decided to transfer our brother to the mainland hospital but the enhanced community quarantine and the risk of getting the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) made it very difficult to find a nurse that will accompany my brother during the travel,” he said.

He said the hospital would not allow the transfer if no nurse would accompany his brother during the four to five hours of Roll-on Roll-Off (RORO) travel.

“The hospital could not provide a nurse since they also need all those on duty as some were already undergoing a 14-day quarantine procedure,” Rodriguez said.

“Nurse na lang talaga ang wala para mapayagan si kuya mailipat. (The only thing needed was a nurse for our brother to be allowed to be transferred) The travel time was Tuesday, 1 p.m. then at around 10:30 a.m., someone called and was willing to accompany our brother, we really believed that she’s an angel sent by God to save the life of our brother,” he said, referring to Tribiana.

Rodriguez said their family would forever be grateful to the 22-year-old nurse.

Tribiana, when asked why she helped, said she knew that the patient was in dire need of being immediately transferred to a bigger hospital. Saving a life, she said, was more important than all the fears and concerns that she had.

Meanwhile, the patient, who was admitted to Mother Seton Hospital in Naga City, has recovered and now waiting to be brought back to Catanduanes.

Tribiana finished Nursing at Catanduanes State University (CSU), Batch 2018.