Clinging to God While Riding the Waves
Interview with Dr. Lim Poh Lian who is on the frontline of the COVID-19 outbreak
16 April 2020
Dr Lim Poh Lian has been attending Redemption Hill Church (RHC) since 2010, and with her husband, Vong Yap, has served as 1st Congregation deacon and CG leaders. She is a senior consultant at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID), and is actively involved in patient care and public health response for this COVID-19 outbreak. She recently took time in this exceptionally busy time to give us an insight into her life at the moment and to share an encouraging word.
RHC: Could you give us an idea of what you do on a daily basis?
LPL: I’m an infectious disease specialist, a doctor who takes care of patients with COVID-19, making decisions about diagnosing and treating people with confirmed or suspected infection. On a weekly basis, I’m either on the outbreak wards or seeing patients in clinics. We also have meetings to discuss COVID-19 research and public health response. I also attend teleconferences and webinars with WHO expert groups and provide advice internationally to professional colleagues in the US, Europe, and elsewhere.
RHC: What was your journey to doing what you do?
LPL: I started med school with misplaced notions of wanting to be a cardiothoracic surgeon, or a pediatrician.
Along the way, I realised in my interactions with kids that I wanted to be their mom, not their doctor. I also realised after scrubbing in on several heart transplants that although I loved surgery, I was actually a bit of a klutz (Yiddish term for clumsy oaf!). So, I returned to my first love which was infectious diseases and public health, drawn by the needs of the HIV/AIDS epidemic then surfacing in New York where I was at med school, and also the desire to be useful for the medical needs in poorer communities.
RHC: Since COVID-19 started, how has your job changed?
LPL: All our schedules have been turned upside down.
I usually travel 1-2 trips a month for various international meetings, but of course, all my conferences have been cancelled, and all leave suspended for the past 2 months and indefinitely for the future. My regular clinics for HIV and travel vaccines have also been suspended for the most part, while we work on stemming the tide of this COVID-19 pandemic.
RHC: How are your day to day experiences similar or different to your experience during SARS?
LPL: COVID-19 has been so different an experience compared to SARS.
We are much better organised for COVID-19, whereas we got caught completely unprepared on the first wave of SARS.
We have COVID-19 diagnostic tests and surge capacity for isolation rooms and tests, which we didn’t have during SARS.
We also have much more community support in this outbreak, compared to the terrible fear and stigma attached to healthcare workers during SARS when we were considered contaminated. We were called “dirty teams” instead of “healthcare heroes”.
RHC: What is life like right now for your colleagues in different parts of the healthcare system?
LPL: Colleagues are working hard in different parts of the healthcare system. Some have less to do as elective surgeries are cancelled to create capacity for the outbreak, so people volunteer to help in the areas that need it. Others like our Emergency Department, lab technicians, cleaners, operations, facilities engineers, public health officers work very hard and are the real unsung heroes of this outbreak response.
Poh Lian and Vong are parents to Elijah, Max, Elie and Lucas. She tells us what life has been like for her outside of the hospital.
RHC: Tell us about your family. How are they doing?
LPL: My husband, Vong, is a tower of strength for me as he holds the fort at home when I come home exhausted, and still have teleconferences to attend many evenings. Lucas, who is in Primary 4, is doing well although he was on Leave of Absence (LOA) and had to miss school for 2 weeks because our daughter, Elie, came home from the US when her university closed and is on Stay Home Notice (SHN). Elijah is sheltering in place at his university in Los Angeles and seems to be taking COVID-19 in his stride. Max is in National Service, so we see him only on weekends.
RHC: How are you thinking about and dealing with this situation as a parent?
LPL: We are of course concerned for our children studying overseas, Max in NS and Lucas at school.
We pray for and with them, offer advice (that is taken occasionally!) and stay in touch through WhatsApp.
We encourage them to trust God with their needs & fears, and to see how they can serve others.
RHC: What is one challenge that you are facing?
LPL: The constant change & uncertainty – it’s like riding the waves, initially exhilarating and terrifying, then after a while, you feel bruised and exhausted and wish it would just stop.
RHC: How are you experiencing God / seeing Him working?
LPL: Working alongside other colleagues who are believers is really encouraging. I see God working in and through their dedication to excellence, their integrity and their kindness.
RHC: What sustains you?
LPL: I am sustained by the love of my family, the prayer support and words of encouragement from friends near and far, including our church family here at RHC.
RHC: Is there a particular part of the scripture that you have been meditating on?
LPL: I love the passage in Luke chapter 8, when Jesus slept, completely exhausted, in the midst of the storm.
His disciples wake him up in their panic, and he stills the storm. It helps me see this pandemic and pandemonium in its true context. Peace is not the absence of trouble but the presence of God.
RHC: Have you/ how have you managed to keep in community?
LPL: Attending livestreamed worship services whenever I’m not on Sunday ward rounds at NCID. Prayer with some work colleagues.
RHC: How can the church be praying for healthcare workers during this time?
LPL: Pray for endurance, wisdom, gentleness, and to shine as lights with the hope that we have in the gospel
Poh Lian shares with us how we can be thinking about COVID-19 and what we can do.
RHC: How do we go about day to day life and making plans in a time of uncertainty?
LPL: We are so used to the illusion of control. The uncertainty occasioned by this pandemic is a good reminder to hold our plans in an open hand, as James 4: 15 teaches, and to be open to interruptions.
RHC: How do we figure out how to live responsibly and cautiously but also not give in to fear? What does that look like?
LPL: Firstly, not spreading COVID-19 infection is a practical way to love others responsibly. This looks like obeying the guidance from health authorities about not travelling, seeking medical care and staying home if unwell, encouraging each other to take precautions even when it’s inconvenient or counter-intuitive. Secondly, discover a fresh contentment in simple things – take a walk, take a nap, take in nature. Enjoy being home – cook a meal, play a game with your kids, try a creative project. Thirdly, looking at this as a season of being still before the Lord, perhaps travelling less, focusing less on what we want or what we enjoy, and reaching out to our families, neighbours and colleagues with the hope, kindness and encouragement we have in Christ.
RHC: A lot of people feel helpless. What can we do?
LPL: When we feel helpless, it is useful to:
Focus on solid factual information because fear can be amorphous.
Accept the reality that some things are indeed outside of our control, but rejoice that God is in control, and He is our ever-present helper in trouble.
Bring to mind specific things that we can do to help ourselves and to help others.
RHC: How can RHC / the Church be of service?
LPL: Pray for the leaders of the nations. Make an effort to reach out to people who may need help or be isolated. Provide practical help to vulnerable individuals and communities whose livelihoods are at risk because of the disruptions from the measures required to control this pandemic.