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Mohamed’s brave job – driving patients with covid-19

”I must always be on my guard. I drive patients with a life-threatening virus”, says Mohamed Akrim.
His important job is to drive patients with covid-19. Every day.
Kristianstad • Publicerad 12 oktober 2020
Mohamed Akrim drives covid-19 patients every day. Hygiene and safety are what is most important.
Mohamed Akrim drives covid-19 patients every day. Hygiene and safety are what is most important.Foto: jens christian
Telepass AB has two drivers who transport corona patients. Mohamed Akrim drives alone in his car. He loves his job, but thinks a lot about his patients. ”They suffer a lot because of this virus”
Telepass AB has two drivers who transport corona patients. Mohamed Akrim drives alone in his car. He loves his job, but thinks a lot about his patients. ”They suffer a lot because of this virus”Foto: jens christian

He shows great courage in his job. He calls himself the corona virus driver.

Mohamed Akrim loves his job, and thinks he makes what is in the first place a humanitarian contribution. Money is a secondary issue.

”Actually I don’t think so much about myself, and I’m not afraid of being infected. But I think a lot about my family. I don’t want to infect them”
Mohamed Akrim
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– When I was asked I didn’t hesitate. But I had just one question: personal safety. Not for my own sake, for the health of my children.

Mohamed Akrim drives infected patients between their home and the hospital, and between hospitals in Skåne.
Mohamed Akrim drives infected patients between their home and the hospital, and between hospitals in Skåne.Foto: jens christian

Mohamed says there are three kinds of job, one that requires physical strength, one that calls for mental strength, and the third:

– Like my job, when you have to deal with a lot of emotions. Knowing that you transport patients to and from hospital,and knowing that they have this virus, demands inner strength.

After every client Mohamed disinfects the car.  ”I know the virus may be lurking somewhere when I’ve dropped off a patient. So I wipe everything down and disinfect everything thoroughly”.
After every client Mohamed disinfects the car.  ”I know the virus may be lurking somewhere when I’ve dropped off a patient. So I wipe everything down and disinfect everything thoroughly”.Foto: jens christian
When Mohamed comes home from work he takes off all his clothes, goes into the bathroom and washes himself thoroughly before hugging his children.
When Mohamed comes home from work he takes off all his clothes, goes into the bathroom and washes himself thoroughly before hugging his children.Foto: jens christian

– Actually I don’t think so much about myself, and I’m not afraid of being infected. But I think a lot about my family. I don’t want to infect them.

”Driving patientsd patients to and from hospital makes me very sad”
Mohamed Akrim

Mohamed works as a driver with Telepass AB in a car reserved for transporting covid-19 patients. The work of transporting patients between their home and the hospital and between hospitals in Skåne is carried out in co-operation with Skånetrafiken.

Only infected patients are allowed to travel in his car. The vehicle has special equipment for disinfecting it.

Mohamed Akrim loves his job, although he thinks a lot about the infected patients and how they are suffering.
Mohamed Akrim loves his job, although he thinks a lot about the infected patients and how they are suffering.Foto: jens christian
”As a fellow human being I find it difficult to look into the sick people’s eyes. They have a virus that can prove fatal. Perhaps they won’t survive”
Mohamed Akrim
Mohamed Akrim drives his car alone during the day.
Mohamed Akrim drives his car alone during the day.Foto: jens christian
Face masks for patients.
Face masks for patients.Foto: jens christian

– Driving patientsd patients to and from hospital makes me very sad. I know very well that they are suffering because of this virus.

– As a fellow human being I find it difficult to look into the sick people’s eyes. They have a virus that can prove fatal. Perhaps they won’t survive.

How do you protect yourself from infection?

– I’m in very close contact with infected people. I do what I can to prevent the infection from spreading. I follow the recommendations from Folkhälsomyndigheten, for example by washing my hands often and by keeping my distance.

”I wash myself thoroughly with soap and water before I hug my children”
Mohamed Akrim
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– Also, Telepass AB takes care of issues of hygiene and sterilisation. They give us specially adapted protective masks. They want us to do all that we can to protect ourselves and prevent the infection from spreading, says Mohamed.

What practical problems have you encountered?

– When I get home I take off all my clothes before I go in and go straight to the bathroom. I wash myself thoroughly with soap and water before I hug my children.

– When I’m driving a patient, I always try not to get too close, and I offer them a face mask if they don’t have one.

The car is specially equipped. Only infected patients travel in it.
The car is specially equipped. Only infected patients travel in it.Foto: jens christian

What do you do to keep your car sterile?

– We have a lot of different disinfectants, and we have special masks. We disinfect the car after every patient. The sterilisation must be rigorous, I know that the virus may be lurking where I can’t see it after the patient has been dropped off. So I wipe down everything carefully and then disinfect it.

”Worst of all is that there are some patients who want to hug me”
Mohamed Akrim

– I know the virus can be somewhere where I can’t see it, which makes me disinfect more than is really necessary.

Mohamed came to Sweden in 2014 from Morocco, where he worked as a taxi-driver in his own firm.

Foto: jens christian
’When I’m transporting my patients, I Always try to keep my distance. I offer the people  a face mask if they don’t have one,’ says Mohamed Akrim.
’When I’m transporting my patients, I Always try to keep my distance. I offer the people  a face mask if they don’t have one,’ says Mohamed Akrim.Foto: jens christian
Mohamed Akrim has been a taxi-drivr for many years, first in Morocco and now in Sweden. ”My life was quite undramatic until I started my journeys with the virus”.
Mohamed Akrim has been a taxi-drivr for many years, first in Morocco and now in Sweden. ”My life was quite undramatic until I started my journeys with the virus”.Foto: jens christian

His life in Sweden began in Näsby.There he got to know a lot of Swedes who helped him to learn the language and find his way into the Swedish community.

– My Life ws quite uneventful until I got a job with Telepass AB and started my journeys with the virus.

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– Dealing with patients is a very sensitive matter. You have to be careful. But at the same time the clients mustn’t feel that I don’t want to come too near them.

– Worst of all is that there are some patients who want to hug me. I sometimes have to be rather unsympathetic.

Mohamed  Akrim didn’t hesitate when he was asked to transport patients with corona. ”I only asked about one thing: personal safety.  Not for my own sake, but for my children and their health”.
Mohamed  Akrim didn’t hesitate when he was asked to transport patients with corona. ”I only asked about one thing: personal safety.  Not for my own sake, but for my children and their health”.Foto: jens christian
Facts

Mohamed Akrim

Lives: at Näsby, at Gamlegården. Came to Sweden in 2013.

Age: will soon be 43.

Family: married with four children.

Wishes: ”that the corona crisis will soon be over, to learn more Swedish and to buy a house in Kristianstad”.

Work: has his own taxi firm, besides working for Telepass since 2019.

Leisure time: swims, reads, enjoys nature and culture.

Sofyan AswadSkicka e-post
Så här jobbar Mosaik Kristianstadsbladet med journalistik: uppgifter som publiceras ska vara korrekta och relevanta. Vi strävar efter förstahandskällor och att vara på plats där det händer. Trovärdighet och opartiskhet är centrala värden för vår nyhetsjournalistik.
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