Female Paramedics

This Blog Post was originally published on the platform "writelier" (formerly "co-writers" and "200wordsaday"). Sadly the blogging platform was discontinued. I downloaded all my blog posts and prepared them to be republish them here.

Yesterday. I was doing a 12-hour paramedic shift again. I wasn't in duty since the start of June and so I thought it would be time to do one again. Although I'm currently having rally long work weeks, it is fun and relaxing doing something completely different.

Since the coronavirus is still there, we got another protective thing to wear. The masks are here since the beginning and now we also have to wear face shields or special glasses. Anyway.

As yesterday was also a holiday (mary's ascension), there weren't many transportations to do. I had the joy to drive with two paramedic colleagues which made it easier for me. As both of them were girls, the patients and some of the relatives reacted strangely.

One of my codrivers is a nurse and can handle patient weight way better than me (because she knows how to do it and how to not do it). Still, one relative asked me if I could move the patient over to our seat as "I was the male and thus must be stronger". Later on, a caregiver also called me because he thought the two girls couldn't make it. At least I had the impression he thought that.

Interestingly both patients weren't that heavy.

I find it disgusting that such a level of sexism is still in peoples minds. If you think about, most nurses and caregivers are females! If they couldn't lift stuff, they wouldn't have become paramedics or nurses. The same probably applies to policewomen. Sadly.