Dr. Saif Ally is our ‘FRONTLINE WORKER OF THE WEEK’

Nov 15, 2020 News

Dr. Ally with other medical professionals at the Skeldon Market

Kaieteur News – “It doesn’t matter the walk of life you come from, the pandemic doesn’t see that, it teaches you a lot, even millionaires are not spared.” – Dr. Ally
As Kaieteur News continue to feature our frontline workers who expose themselves to the many challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, this week we turn our attention to Dr. Saif Ally who is currently based at the Skeldon Public Hospital, East Berbice.
Dr. Ally has been in the profession for the past five years and serves not as a member of the Region Six COVID-19 Task Force but rather as an extension of the team since he works from Skeldon. Born on October 24th, 1990, he grew up in Queenstown, Corriverton, Berbice.

On the frontline: Dr. Saif Ally

From sincerely caring for persons as they approach the hospitals in the public health system to sacrificing hours and hours away from family, self and close friends, the medical profession and the professionals who define it has been described as humans with superhuman powers.
The world has developed a greater appreciation and understanding for these professionals since the Coronavirus took centre stage earlier this year, killing over one million persons worldwide and infecting 53.7M persons.
Guyana is still struggling to adapt with frontline workers taking the lead in dealing with it.
Dr. Ally told this publication that his drive to become a doctor came from a difficult time in the life of himself, father and siblings. His mother passed away while giving birth to himself and his twin brother, who is also a doctor by profession (Asif Ally).
He added that it gave him inspiration to pursue studies in the medical field, as he got older. Dr. Ally attended the Corriverton Primary School and then the Skeldon Linepath Secondary School where he wrote CSEC in the year 2007. He attained nine subjects.
He added that while it was his desire to further his studies, he and siblings were faced with financial difficulties. His father, a single parent after his mother died, supported them. He was the head teacher at the Corriverton Primary School. He retired when they got older.
The doctor said that because of those financial difficulties, he applied for a scholarship with his brother in 2007 and they both were accepted to pursue studies in Cuba.

Dr. Saif (left) with his twin brother Dr. Asif

After six years in Cuba, they both returned, and he served as an intern for one year in Guyana at the Suddie Hospital, Region Two, and then the New Amsterdam Hospital.
“I have been at Skeldon for three years because I wanted to serve my community. I also worked at Mibicuri Hospital in Black Bush Polder and Port Mourant Hospital. I also want to mention that prior to becoming a doctor, I was a teacher at Skeldon Primary School for six months”, Dr. Ally said.

Working with the Task Force
After the pandemic swept the nation by storm a few months ago, a Task Force was set up in Region Six (East Berbice). Dr. Ally volunteered to work along with that task force team but requested to be in Skeldon since he wanted to serve the community he grew up in.
He described being a part of it at first as “scary”- he was more scared for his family since he knew that his job now would entail being exposed to persons who may have the virus.
“I was scared that I could put their lives at risk but with time and more information about it and taking precautions that changed a bit,” he said.
Dr. Ally is tasked with the surveillance and swabbing of persons who suspect they have the virus or persons who are exhibiting signs of the virus.
At one point he, too, was experiencing flu-like symptoms and as a precaution, he took the test and placed himself into six-days of quarantine.
He was forced to be away from his wife and three-year-old daughter. He missed their birthdays during that time but found solace in the fact that he was keeping them out of harm’s way – his results returned negative.
Dr. Ally believes that COVID-19 is not going anywhere soon and “it’s something that we have to live with.” He noted that people would have to live with the idea that it is here to stay but at the same time take the necessary precautions.
“People out there still believe the virus is not here and one of the challenges is knowing that I put my life at risk every day and some people don’t really care. Being in the public system I have learned a lot of things, there will always be people that will criticized but we must do what we must do,” he noted.
One of the things he has taken out from this crisis is that in this world, the virus doesn’t choose a face, it attacks everyone, whether rich or poor and it is in this light that he stressed people must remain humble and have more humility in these difficult times.
Although his time is taken up with working on the frontlines, Dr. Ally said that he still tries to find time for his family. He lauded them for the immeasurable support they have given him. He expressed his gratitude to them and to Allah for guiding and protecting him.
According to Dr. Ally, he will forever be committed to the profession of saving lives and will continue to serve his country knowing that the virus isn’t going anywhere soon.
He is calling on persons to take the necessary precautions and follow the guidelines set out by the Ministry of Health as they go about their lives daily.
He believes that the way of life has changed drastically and persons should start adapting to remain safe and thus help to flatten the curve of the virus.