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Maciel Vinagre is 45 years old, he was born in the parish of São Vicente on the island of Madeira. He dropped out of accounting studies and, at the age of 18, in search of a better life, he went to the United Kingdom, where he began working in a restaurant, where he improved his knowledge of the English language.
He began working at Ashford Hospital in 1997 as a janitor and was promoted to supervisor that same year. Today he is deputy director of cleaning and catering services at Ashford and St. Peter hospitals in London, having been recognized on the Queen’s birthday decorations list for services rendered during the pandemic. But the Madeiran did not immediately believe it: he thought it was a mistake. “I was in the office and I got an email from the ‘Cabinet Office’ [ministério do Governo] say that he had been distinguished on the queen’s list. At first I thought it was a lie, it can only be a mistake. My colleagues told me to delete it because it could be a fraud, ”he told Agência Lusa.
But it was all true. Maciel Vinagre even received the British Empire Medal, after being nominated by colleagues and superiors who highlighted the “knowledge and creativity” demonstrated in the prevention and containment of infections within hospitals, not only from patients, but also from employees. .
So much so that David Fluck, medical director of hospitals, praised the Portuguese by describing “strong leadership throughout the pandemic in a team that played a key role in reducing the risk of transmission of covid-19 in our hospitals”, he said, quoted by the Lusa agency.
Maciel Vinagre implemented practical changes in the daily life of these hospitals in order to protect everyone. “It has introduced changes to the way we maintain cleanliness in our hospitals in the future, which will protect many patients and staff from harm, even after the end of the pandemic,” the official said.
One of the outstanding actions was the hiring of a company specialized in disinfection, which operates using a disinfectant steam, which ensures that surfaces remain free of the virus for 30 days.
“It was a new product on the market and we didn’t know if it was effective. But we hire them to decontaminate everything from hallways to bathrooms to stairways in 24-hour shifts. It was worth it, the hospital has one of the lowest death rates in the area “He explained.
His solution for sterilizing personal protective masks in the midst of a crisis, allowing them to be recycled and dealing with the uncertainty surrounding the arrival of new equipment, was also valuable.
“I made a line to dry clothes, we hung up masks and sterilized 500 in three days with ultraviolet light. Fortunately it was not necessary because new ones arrived, but if it was necessary, the process was ready “, said Vinagre.
Portuguese among 411 anonymous heroes
There are many compliments. Another concerns the way it was able to hire workers to make up for absences, having played a key role in motivating cleaning employees. very vigilant about the dangers they faced in the performance of their work: Four hospital workers died of COVID-19, including a 71-year-old member of the Vinegar cleanup team.
Maciel Vinagre’s work drew attention to the importance of cleaning work during a pandemic, with the Portuguese thus integrating the list of 411 anonymous heroes, from nurses to scientists to people who produced free meals or protective equipment. who received decorations from Mullet, in recognition of the “exceptional” intervention.
In normal years, the award is awarded in July, the Queen’s birthday month and includes figures from other areas, such as sports or the arts. In 2020, the list was only released in October, to prioritize “frontline” heroes.
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