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A frontline coronavirus doctor has refocused his passion for photography to document his hospital’s battle with the virus.
Tuck Goh, who always carries a small camera in his pocket, has been capturing candid photos of his colleagues in the Ulster Hospital emergency department near Belfast as they respond to the Covid-19 crisis.
Dr. Goh, a 59-year-old associate specialist who has worked in the hospital emergency department for 23 years, has traveled extensively in search of his love of street photography.
At the start of the pandemic, when the hospital undertook a major reconfiguration in preparation for the increase in the virus, it decided to keep a visual record of events for generations to come.
Dr. Tuck Goh works in the Emergency Department at Ulster Hospital on the outskirts of Belfast (Niall Carson / PA)The doctor, originally from Malaysia but who has lived in Northern Ireland for most of his life, continued his efforts when the hospital began treating coronavirus patients, taking out his camera when circumstances allowed.
It uses a compact handheld camera, which is wrapped in an adhesive film and continuously cleaned with antibacterial wipes to meet hygiene requirements.
“I felt that I needed to document this very interesting and surreal period of our department,” he told the PA news agency.
“It fit the genre and niche of my type of photography. So I started by taking pictures of basically how we prepare for what’s to come and simply documenting my fellow colleagues (doctors, nurses, porters, home staff) just to get an idea of what was involved, the scale of this.
“It was just to document this very special and interesting period of the department. And that’s what I thought I should do. And that is what I have been doing and continue to do even today. “
One of Dr. Goh’s colleagues in the emergency department treats a patient (Tuck Goh / PA)Dr. Goh said that his colleagues are comfortable with him describing them at work.
“They know I have a great passion for photography and have been taking photographs all my life,” he said.
“And they know that I usually have a camera in my hand. So they accept that “that’s him taking pictures”. So it is not a problem. Also, almost all doctors and all patients are basically wearing face masks, so I think there are fewer confidentiality issues with these types of photos, I think. “
Dr. Goh’s pocket camera wrapped in clear film (Niall Carson / PA)The enthusiastic hobby photographer said he is careful when framing shots to protect patients’ confidentiality, and whenever he takes pictures of them, he always asks for permission first.
“I tend to travel a lot,” he added.
“Then I would travel to take pictures of the street. But because obviously we can’t travel much right now, I’m very lucky in the sense that I can still continue to enjoy my passion for street photography by taking pictures in the hospital.
“So it has been very, very gratifying from my point of view.”
Dr. Goh hopes to display his photos in the hospital when the crisis ends (Tuck Goh / PA)The doctor added: “I think this is a once in a lifetime event. And I think the hospital itself would like to document this by looking back pictorially.
“So I think it is important that we have this as proof of what happened for future generations.”
Dr. Goh, who hopes to display some of his photographs at the hospital, said he has never witnessed anything like the coronavirus outbreak.
“It is very difficult for many families and obviously very difficult for many patients and there is a lot of suffering, but we hope we will all get through it,” he said.
- Useful information
- The HSE has developed an information package on how to protect yourself and others from the coronavirus. Read it here
- Anyone with coronavirus symptoms who has been in close contact with a confirmed case in the past 14 days should isolate themselves from others; This means going alone to a different, well-ventilated room with a phone; call your GP or emergency department;
- After-hours GP services are not in a position to order tests for patients with normal cold and flu symptoms. HSELive is an information line and, similarly, is not in a position to order tests for members of the public. The public is asked to reserve 112/999 for medical emergencies at all times.
- ALONE has launched a national support line and additional supports for older people who have concerns or face difficulties related to the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) outbreak in Ireland. The support line will be open seven days a week, from 8 am to 8 pm, by calling 0818 222 024
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