In this time of the coronavirus outbreak, frontline medical staff undoubtedly have the toughest jobs.

Although these people are the ones working around the clock, they seldom receive the appreciation they deserve.

One Benjamin Ong, a healthcare worker at Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH), has taken to social media to give a glimpse into what it's like working on the frontlines.

Tough to work in PPE

In an Instagram post, Ong, who appears to hail from Klang, Malaysia, detailed the hassle of wearing Personal Protection Equipment (PPE).

Staff have to don all kinds of equipment, from surgical to N95 masks to face shields and even goggles.

Ong shared that some even wear powered air-purifying respirators (PAPR), a form of full body PPE.

A photo Ong shared showed the indents and marks on his face after wearing a mask for long hours.

It also was not easy to breathe while wearing the N95 and PAPR, he said, but despite that, staff still have to work quickly and efficiently.

"With all that protection on, you work quick and fast, catching your breath with every step you make because (LIFE) MATTERS."

And all this protection was to ensure that he wouldn't contract and spread the virus to the people around him, including his own loved ones.

Leave frozen and wedding canceled

Ong's work has even spilled over to affect his personal life.

He shared that his annual leaves had been frozen due to the outbreak, and he was not allowed to take a vacation as he was needed on the frontlines.

Ong revealed that he even had to cancel his own wedding reception as his partner was a healthcare staff too, and they were both needed on what he described as a "war zone".

After finishing his shifts "sweaty with tiredness, aching back, sore calf, painful ankles", Ong would shower, don his uniform again and head back home.

Ostracised by public

The struggles don't seem to remain in the hospitals though.

Despite wearing his uniform "with pride", Ong claimed he faced scrutiny from others on public transport, who supposedly blamed him for being "inconsiderate" for "infecting other people."

In times like these, Ong wrote, he was simply too tired to argue, and would silently disembark.

But this is not a situation only Ong has faced.

As paranoia and panic rises in recent days, numerous reports and anecdotes of nurses and healthcare workers being shunned by the public have emerged.

Ong implored Singaporeans to empathise with the plight of frontline staff, saying they were "human" too.

"Now u tell us how are we suppose to feel or react?

Are we not human like everyone else?

Don’t we have love ones too?

Don’t we wish to go on a holiday too?"

You can read his full post here.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B8TnTZAHGxA/

Top photo from @benzeemin / IG