MANILA, Philippines — A British-Filipino nurse on Thursday received a national award in the United Kingdom for his "instrumental" work throughout the coronavirus pandemic.
Ariel Lanada, a nurse at Oxford University Hospitals, is the joint winner of the Black Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) Nurse of the Year at the National BAME Health and Care Awards.
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"[Lanada] has been instrumental in supporting his colleagues and the Filipino community in Oxfordshire through what has been an extremely difficult period," a press release from the Oxford University Hospitals (OUH) reads.
"I am incredibly honored to receive this award," Lanada is quoted as saying in the press release. "It has been a pleasure and a privilege to be able to support my colleagues and the Filipino community."
A report from the BBC published Friday notes that there are around 3,000 Filipinos working in Oxfordshire county, 500 of whom work at OUH. Most of them are nurses.
The same report notes that Lanada organizes hot meals for National Health Service workers in Oxford, an activity he also frequently documents on his social media accounts.
Another successful food distribution to our NHS Heroes today at Churchill Hospital. Thank you City Councilor Mark Lygo! pic.twitter.com/45llnoqnP9
— Ariel Lanada (@ariel_lanada) May 31, 2020
"I am dedicating this award to all my fellow nurses and Healthcare colleagues throughout the world," Lanada said on Twitter Friday night.
Thank you so much BBC News! I am dedicating this award to all my fellow nurses and Healthcare colleagues throughout the world! pic.twitter.com/oLuAyT8fct
— Ariel Lanada (@ariel_lanada) May 7, 2021
Per its website, the National BAME Health and Care Awards "recognise and celebrate the achievements of BAME staff and support networks from across the health and care fields in making significant improvements in career development support for BAME staff."