Another nurse, eng’r in UAE die of COVID-19

A nurse who was also a  mom died of COVID-19 on Mothers’ Day while an engineer, who was nearing retirement and was  reluctant to be transferred to another site because those who has worked there were put on quarantine, has also passed on due to the virus in the UAE.

Janette Daywan Alano died on Sunday, May 10 according to the Philippine Nurses Association – UAE Chapter.

Joel Hualde, former president of the Filipino Nurses Association in the Emirates (FNAE) and current adviser of the group said Alano, who was based in Abu Dhabi, was a charge nurse.  

“I don’t know how she got infected. As a nurse, we should not be complacent in dealing with our patients and even in our daily routines outside the work. At work, we need to prepare ourselves physically, mentally and emotionally. Our actions should be coupled with presence of mind. 

“Dealing with any patients, nurses should be protected by PPEs and should know how to properly use them.  Correct steps of donning and doffing must be accurately followed to prevent contaminating yourself. Even in the workplace, social distancing has to be practiced.  Sometimes we may not know that our colleagues have the virus undetected,” Hualde said.

‘My mom suggested I take up nursing’

Jalyssa Alano, the eldest of Janette’s three children and who works as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) in the neighboring emirate of Sharjah, said her mother was a “very strong person.”

“Si mommy po nag-suggest sa’kin na mag-take ng nursing kasi nakikitaan nya din daw po ako ng potential,” Jalyssa said.

“We both dreamed of working together in the future, parang mother- daughter duo. Then nag-nursing din po ako and came to love the profession din,” she added.

Jalyssa said her mother would always suggest that she take up trainings to improve her credentials “to help me in my chosen field of nursing which is ER.”

“Then one time she suggested na mag-take ako ng EMT course and I did and mas nagustuhan ko yung field na yun kaya tinuloy-tuloy ko na yung profession and nakapag-apply din ng work dito sa UAE,”Jalyssa said.

Rio Mher Rafael meantime said it hurts that Janette has passed on. “The last voice message I  sent her was greeting her happy Mothers’ Day and after an hour, I received a message that she has passed away,” Rafael said.

“Masakit po. Parang nanay ko po sya dito,” Rafael added.

She said Janette would have been celebrating her birthday on May 27.

Xander Albano, a colleague said they were planning an educational program with Janette that focuses on Nursing Certification in Quality.

“Yun kasi ang passion namin as we work in nursing administration,” she said.

Citing information received from a cousin of the deceased, Albano said  tested positive on April 27.

“Nakakalungkot kasi we lost another great nurse that inspires and mentors the next generation of nurses. She will be missed but will never be forgotten,” Albano said.

Fallen hero

“A hero who has given her life to something bigger than oneself. We mourn for the passing of our fellow nurse Janette Daywan Alano. You made a good fight. May you rest in peace,” PNA-UAE said in its Facebook page, referring to Alano.

The post generated an outpouring of condolences, including from those lamenting that Alano, herself a mother, died as the rest of the world was celebrating Mothers’ Day.

“A Mothers Day celebration supposedly being celebrated with family which instead is mourning as you’ve gone so soon. May your soul rest in peace Nette Nette,” read one comment.

Second thoughts

Meantime, the company who have hired 55-year-old Engr. Mario Vilela Mercado is currently working to have his remains transferred from Ajman to Sharjah to have it cremated, according to Engr. Arnel E. Caburnay, a close friend of the deceased.

Caburnay said Mercado, who hails from Ibaan, Batangas, was having second thoughts about his new site assignment where he eventually contracted the coronavirus and died.

“A day or two before siya na-transfer sa lilipatan niyang site, from EXPO 2020 to a project sa may Diera, nagkausap pa kami. Sabi niya akin, “Dre (tawagan namin), ililipat ako sa isang project sa may Deira.’

“Kaso lang sabi nya,  ‘Parang natatakot ako dahil nga naka-quarantine ang mga kasamahan ko na galing dyan due to symptoms of COVID-19 daw. Sabi ko sa kanya, ‘Gusto mo kausapin ko boss mo (dahil kakilal ko boss nya) at sabi nya ‘Huwag na,’” recalls Caburnay, who had worked with Mercado in other projects before.

(“He came up to me a day of two before he was transferred to a new site from Expo 2020, where he was working at, to Deira. He told me, ‘I am a bit afraid because my fellow staff who had been there were quarantined because they showed COVID-19 symptoms. I told him I can talk to his boss because I know the person. He said, ‘Never mind.’”)

Engr, Bobby Relente, Middle East vice president of the Philippine Society of Mechanical Engineers (PSME) to which Mercado and Caburnay were members of, said Mercado tested positive for COVID-19 and was admitted to the hospital on April 18.

He was transferred to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). He died on April 27.

A relative said the Mercado’s company was working on having his remains moved to the emirate of Sharjah because Ajman, a neighboring emirate where Mercado died, doesn’t have a crematorium.

Caburnay, who has worked with Mercado since 2005, having gone together in Saudi Arabia, said the deceased was a health buff.

“Malinis sa katawan at health conscious. Sa mga time na nagkitakita kami dito sa Dubai wala naman akong nabalitaan na mayroon siyang health issues or  may problema sa health otherwise hindi siya ma-renew ng company. Pag makita mo sya di mo akalain na over 50 na siya, kasi still strong and able.

“At talagang active sya dahil nag-site supervision at nag-inspect halos every day, dahil site engineer nga work niya,” Caburnay said.

(He was a health conscious and neat person. When we were meeting up in Dubai, I never notice nor heard about any healthy issues concerning him. You’d never think he was over 50 years old if you see him back then when he was alive. He was strong and able. And he was very active as a site engineer, doing supervision and inspection every day.)

Caburnay said Mercado had long been looking to retire. “Halos kalahati ng buhay namin ay nagtratrabaho sa ibang bansa as OFWs. May plano na rin siyang mag-retire. Napag-uusapan din namin iyan, pero kung kailan ay hindi namin nabigyan ng tamang taon,” he said.

(“Almost half our lives have been spent abroad as OFWs. He already had plans to retire. We’ve been talking about it but couldn’t yet decide when.”)

Caburnay said Mercado has three children, including a special child. They are living with their mother in the Philippines.