STRATEGIC PARTNERS AND PATRONS


Let’s celebrate our Covid-19 healthcare heroes


The coronavirus pandemic has turned all our lives upside down, but throughout it all, the UK’s NHS, social and care workers have been on-hand to look after us. Dr Nik Kotecha (pictured) OBE, Chief Executive of Chamber Strategic Partner Morningside Pharmaceuticals, reflects on the huge debt of gratitude each of us owes to our healthcare heroes…


Having family members who work for the NHS has brought home to me the huge self-sacrifice thousands of healthcare workers are making every day. I’ve seen first-hand how hard


they work, so it has been reassuring to watch this appreciation filter through to every pocket of society, as shown with the brilliant ‘Clap for our Carers’ campaign. It’s no secret that what started


as a new novel virus on the other side of the world has taken every country in the Western world by surprise. The UK is no different, and as the


coronavirus pandemic has spread, it appears to have been testing humanity to its limits. This has led to scenes of panic


buying in the supermarkets and people understandably feeling frightened for themselves and their loved ones. But out of this traumatic and society-changing situation,


communities throughout the UK have shown remarkable strength, especially in their unwavering support for our healthcare heroes. One example is where different


parts of society including local business individuals, religious groups and my charitable foundation, have come together to pay for NHS staff in Leicester to receive free dinners. This has been a huge help to


hundreds of NHS staff, as many are working long shifts and do not have the time to visit the supermarkets or prepare food. So far, 1,600 food parcels have been collected by NHS workers in the three days since the service began. Elsewhere, it has been


heartening to see more than 750,000 people volunteer to help the NHS through the coronavirus pandemic. So, what has caused this great


surge of respect and appreciation for our healthcare heroes? Perhaps it’s the realisation that if


Dr Nik Kotecha


our family, friends or even ourselves become seriously ill, they will stop at nothing to give us the care that we need. Or maybe it’s that we know they


are there, like they always are in times of great need, but we just haven’t stopped to reflect on how important they are to our health and wellbeing. Covid-19’s legacy will profoundly


change many aspects of our society, some of which will be challenging, some will be positive. My personal view is that the


Covid-19 pandemic has brought home the reality of how precious life is. It’s also affected the ones that


we love, who are elderly or deemed vulnerable to the virus, which in many cases has meant we haven’t been able to spend time with them in close quarters.


Life will inevitably go back to a semblance of normality in the weeks and months ahead, but my hope is that the self-sacrifice and heroic acts of our NHS, social and care heroes stays with people far longer. Perhaps as a society, we should


put more value on those who dedicate their lives to helping others. This would mean giving them


increased resources and improved facilities to help them do their jobs, ensuring they are better rewarded and recognised for their hard work, as well as showing gratitude and appreciation for their dedication to caring for others. One thing is for sure, society


owes a great debt of gratitude to them, and I would like to thank every one of our healthcare heroes for everything they do for us.


THE CHAMBER IS HONOURED BY THE SUPPORT OF ITS STRATEGIC PARTNERS AND PATRONS


business networkMay 2020


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