Magda's story

Hello my name is Magda and I’m a housekeeper at West Suffolk Hospital. I moved to England two years ago from a small town 30 minutes outside of Lisbon in Portugal.

At the beginning of COVID-19, I was working on the intensive treatment unit which is where some COVID-19 patients were being cared for.

Of course, at the beginning, I was afraid being on the front line. I knew my work would be very important as housekeeper; carrying out all cleaning and disinfection work in all the areas used by doctors and nurses. After some research about coronavirus and some training sessions, I could understand how important it was to use the PPE correctly and to be careful when walking around the hospital.

I took it upon myself to be a happy, smiling face on all the wards. When making tea and coffee for patients, I made sure I spoke to everyone, complimenting them and being a friend. I knew that when we couldn’t have visitors, they would need a friend, so I made sure to be positive all the time.

I work long hours at the hospital, and I’m very proud of my work, I feel I make a real difference. I want to thank my colleagues for their confidence and trust in my work.