FELICIA KWAKU, ON THE FRONT LINE
A nursing leader who witnessed her colleagues dying from Covid-19 has dedicated her OBE to NHS staff who “laid down their lives” during the pandemic.
Felicia Kwaku, 52, associate director of nursing at Kings College NHS Foundation Trust, was honoured for her services to nursing spanning more than 30 years.
During the pandemic, she supported BAME nurses by delivering webinars which reached thousands of NHS staff at a time when they felt vulnerable, scared and worried. She also battled for personal protective equipment for BAME staff and highlighted surgical masks built for white males that did not fit Asian medics.
Miss Kwaku (right), of Islington, north London, said it was “timely and appropriate” that BAME people were recognised for their efforts during Black History Month.
“We saw in April that nurses were dying and that was unacceptable. I lost a medical colleague, which was very shocking to me. Many of my colleagues became very unwell, and sick. You can’t ignore the significant number of nurses and midwives who have died, and a significant number of them are from BAME backgrounds,” she said.
“The honour is for those who laid down their lives, and for those who continue to serve.”
Miss Kwaku championed the cause of Filipino nurses, five of whom are thought to have died after contracting the virus.
On her OBE, she said: “It’s my responsibility to represent my profession really well, and for BAME people who don’t get to these levels a lot. It’s a real privilege for me.”