By Rusieljs G. Lunasco

Madel Thelia Lucena graduated with a degree in Bachelor of Science in Medical Laboratory Science from Central Philippine University in 2018.

Madel Thelia Lucena (CPU BMLS ’18) was one of many cabin crew whose jobs were affected by the pandemic. After being laid off, she went home to Palawan to be with her family and eventually became a medical technologist in one of the testing centers there. At first, she had hesitations about the job.

In an interview, Lucena said it took her a while before deciding to go back to work. “At the end of the day, it’s still my profession. I took an oath and I have to help other people,” she added.
As a medical frontliner, Lucena works 12-hour shifts, swabbing patients and testing them for the virus.

“We wear our PPE. Sometimes, we have so much on that we can’t see clearly due to fogging. We wear masks so tight that our cheeks hurt; but we need to be careful. After each person that we test, we remove our PPE, take a shower and prepare for the next one. It’s a hassle. It’s challenging, but it’s what we have to do.”

Lucena feels she was destined to return to her career as a medical technologist. “When this all ends, the pandemic and this crisis, I will look back on this moment knowing that I tried and helped people,” she said.