“During my first shift, I lost my grandmother to COVID-19. She died in my arms.

My name is Gantsengel Purev, intensive care doctor at the Central Military Hospital. When my grandmother was feeling better she would say, “I’m getting better, I’ll go home soon.” She would praise my work.

She stayed strong until her last breath.

 At my last shift, three people died in an hour. We think about their families, children and grandchildren. Informing the families about what has happened is hard. My patients are no different to my grandmother and grandfather.

Many patients recover and leave the hospital. What keeps me going is two words from them: “Thank you.”

We have now had over 100 deaths in Mongolia. We don’t want to see this number increase. To stop it increasing, we all need to follow the guidance from the national authorities and get vaccinated.”