Filipina nurse recognized in UK's 'Honours List' for treating terror attack victims

MANILA, Philippines — Filipina nurse Joy Ongcachuy was recognized with 42 others who responded to terror attacks in 2017.

Joy Ongcachuy is a nurse at the Royal London Hospital since 2002. She was awarded an Office of the British Empire Award in Britain's New Year's Honours List 2019.

The recognition was for responding to the 2017 attacks where a terrorist ploughed into a crowd with his vehicle and stabbed pedestrians on the London Bridge. Filipino British man James McMullan, was among the eight killed in the attacks.

READ: British envoy condoles with Pinoy killed in London attack

According to state media, Ongcachuy was among the first responders to the incident.

"I was working the night shift that night and I heard the anaesthetist’s bleep go off. We already had a really sick patient in one of our theatres," Ongcachuy was quoted in a press release by the UK's National Health System (NHS).

"So I had to get our other theatres ready and pull a team of nurses, allied health professionals and operating department practitioners together."

She added "We opened an additional six theatres that night and everyone I called dropped everything they were doing to come to the aid of the patients. No one panicked; everyone was calm and so supportive.”

According to NHS, Ongcachuy came to the UK with 23 other nurses to work at St. Bartholomew Hospital before moving to The Royal London. In 2017, she was promoted to robotic lead nurse.

She said that she makes sure that new Filipino nurses in London "feel welcome and supported when they join the hospital."

The nurse said: “Our original group of 23 is a bit smaller now, but we still celebrate together every year. And we’ve welcomed so many Filipinos into our family! This year we had two Christmas parties for the 35 Filipino nurses who work in theatres.”

The New Year's Honours list is an annual collection of British who've performed outstanding feats in their respective fields. — Ryan Macasero