Dozens of medical students in Canterbury might not be on the frontline, but they’re doing their bit to help doctors who are.
With schools and daycare centres closed, students from the University of Otago have become nannies for the children of their senior colleagues.
Fourth year medical student Lachie Watson is helping supervise 12-year-old Roddie MacPherson and his younger sister.
The 24-year-old student’s sacrifice is not lost on his young charges, however.
“I think it’s really nice of him ‘cause he's taking a big risk looking after us since our parents are working with people who may or may not have the virus,” Roddie told 1 NEWS.
The children's dad, Dr Sean MacPherson, is a haematologist at Christchurch Hospital, while their mum is a GP.
“She is in the frontline, she’s been testing patients. They started in the carpark, moved to a porta cabin. I'm not quite frontline, I'm a couple of trenches back at the moment,” Dr MacPherson said.
The MacPhersons were struggling to find childcare before being paired up with Mr Watson.
“I really appreciate the fact that they're helping out like this because I can't get anyone else,” Dr MacPherson said.
Mr Watson said he didn’t even hesitate to lend a helping hand.
“Everybody kind of wants to do what we can to help and, I guess, kind of take stress off the doctors with people who are on the frontline,” Mr Watson said.
Dozens of fourth- and fifth-year medical students have put their hands up to help out with childcare for medical families at the frontline so the students themselves, who are unable to work in the hospital, can be part of the fight against Covid-19.
All medical students are police vetted before they are matched with a family.
Christchurch Medical Students' Association president Dali Fan said it was important to show "a bit of kindness and support for one another" amid the nationwide coronavirus lockdown.
“Christchurch itself has been through quite a lot and the medical community, and I'm sure it would be the same for the wider community as well. We are all very much rallying together to get through this,” Mr Fan said.
The immense gratitude from everyone in the MacPherson family is clear.
“It’s his way of helping and I really, really appreciate it,” Mr MacPherson said.
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