This year, the chief nurse at Hospital Tunku Azizah’s (HTA) paediatric dialysis clinic will again spend the festive season at work instead of going back to her hometown in Kelantan.

However, Wan Zuraini is not letting this dampen the festive mood as she celebrates with the children under her care who are fighting chronic kidney diseases at HTA, which is the women and children’s wing of Hospital Kuala Lumpur (HKL).

“It’s work as usual for me this Aidilfitri and I’ll be wearing my uniform instead of my traditional clothes. I can’t celebrate with my husband and children.

“However, I’m still happy to be by my patients’ side. They’re now like family in this ward,” she told FMT.

For 32-year-old Sabiha Sarah Roslan, who has been a nurse for a decade, this will be the third consecutive Hari Raya that she is on duty.

“As a nurse, I cannot let my patients see that I’m sad, because my job is to care for them,” she said, adding that she considered herself lucky to be serving at the paediatrics ward where part of her duty was to entertain the children.

Meanwhile, Nuratikah Idora Yusof, 30, said working during the festive celebrations was part and parcel of being a nurse.

“When I first started working, it did feel weird to be on duty on the morning of Aidilfitri. But I’ve accepted it.

“It’s my turn again this year (to work during Hari Raya). I do feel a little sad, but I’ve got my colleagues to cheer me up,” said Nuratikah, who hails from Kuantan, Pahang.