Two of the Club’s pitchside medics have been continuing their hard work on the front line during the Coronavirus outbreak.
Gary Eaton and Rachel Lemonofides are paramedics in the Rochdale, Bury and Oldham areas when not on duty on matchdays.
Gary, who has been working for the Club for past 25 years, says it is great to see NHS and care staff getting the recognition they deserve.
“The NHS has had some bad press over the last ten years, but it’s times like these that people realise what a brilliant job it does for people,” said Gary.
“We’ve had a lot of neighbours offering pizzas, fruit boxes, etc. It’s great to see everybody coming together.
“With GPs and Doctors going back into hospitals to work, it means there isn’t a lot of people there to visit the community.
“So, it’s down to us and district teams to treat people at their homes.
“We’re still seeing patients with symptoms not related to COVID-19, but a lot of our calls are related to the virus.
“It’s been a busy and strange time. I’ve worked in the service for 34 years and I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s like a zombie apocalypse; without the zombies!”
Gary is looking forward to the resumption of normality, whenever that may be, and the return of football.
“The Club has been part of my life for such a long time – I’ve been working with the Club for about 25 years; Rachel for the last six – so when it’s taken away there’s a big empty void.”
The Club would like to give their continued thanks to Gary, Rachel and all front-line workers during this pandemic.