Ralph returns to work and thanks colleagues who saved his life
Ralph Deocampo, site nurse practitioner at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, has been welcomed back to work this week after being away for nearly five months recovering from Covid-19.
Starting back at work on Monday 17 August, Ralph first port of call was to visit his colleagues in ICU at Charing Cross Hospital who helped save his life. After falling ill in March, Ralph spent nine days ventilated in ICU and three days further days recovering in hospital. He was discharged on 20 April with applause from his friends and colleagues at the Trust. With him when he left hospital was his wife Brenda, who he met at Charing Cross Hospital 18 years ago and also works at the hospital as a ward manager.
Speaking about his return to work, Ralph said: “I’m so humbled to have been given this chance to recover so well from Covid-19, and grateful for the outstanding care and support that I received from everyone at Imperial. It’s been really good being back, I missed interacting with patients and colleagues for months and coming back is like catching up with everyone.
“Being able to see my colleagues in ICU was brilliant. I looked forward to thanking them personally for their outstanding care. As healthcare workers, we often see patients discharged from our care in an improved condition, but we don’t usually know what happens to them after. As a patient myself I just want to give it back to my colleagues as a form of validation to the extraordinary impact they had on my life.”
Professor Tim Orchard, chief executive at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, said: We are thrilled to see Ralph healthy and back at work again thanks to the support and encouragement of his wife, Brenda, the rest of his family and colleagues.”
