AIIMS nurse skips grandmother’s funeral for Covid duty

Rakhi John got a call from her family in Kerala on Sunday afternoon that her grandmother had succumbed to Covid-19. A few hours later, John picked herself up, reported to the Covid ward of the hospital and discharged her duties for the day

Rakhi John, a nursing officer at the All India Institute Of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi, got a call from her family in Kerala on Sunday afternoon that her grandmother had succumbed to Covid-19. A few hours later, John picked herself up, reported to the Covid ward of the hospital and discharged her duties for the day.

AIIMS nursing officer Rakhi John who skipped grandmother’s funeral to continue serving Covid patients. (Photo: Sourced)

The 32-year-old said her grandmother raised her after she lost her mother at the age of one. “I addressed her as Amma. She was more than a mother to me. The news of her demise shattered me. I felt helpless, and orphaned at the same time. My husband asked me to take leave and go home. But I knew I would not be allowed to attend her last rites because of the Covid norms. Besides, there are so many patients banking on me. If I manage to save their lives, it will be my tribute to Amma,” she said.

Amid the deadly second wave of Covid-19 in the country, and the fourth in Delhi,thousands of people are testing positive for the disease and over 2,000 are succumbing to the infection every day. The virus has not spared healthcare workers either. Many of them have tested positive, are in need of oxygen support themselves while some have lost their loved ones to Covid-19.

John, who hails from Thiruvananthapuram, and lives here with her husband and two children, said her decision of not going home in such a situation was not easy. “I would have collapsed emotionally had I visited home now. I am needed here right now and that’s why, I decided to continue doing my duty. My aunt recorded the video of Amma’s last rites and shared it with me. I am yet to watch it. I am avoiding it so that I can remain mentally strong and work right now,” she said

Several other doctors, nurses, and healthcare workers have been on duty without a break. A senior doctor from Rajeev Gandhi Superspeciality hospital said, “A couple of days ago, two of my doctors lost their family members. One of them, who lost his parent, called me and said, ‘Sir, I am going for the cremation, I will not be able to make it to the evening shift. Can I take the morning shift instead?’ This is the level of dedication among my staff. Many of them have several family members who are down with Covid-19 and yet, they come for their duty.”

A 48-year-old nursing officer at Safdarjung Hospital, who tested positive for Covid-19 during the course of her duty, reported back to work immediately after testing negative. “I lost 6kgs in the last 14-15 days. I feel weak all the time. It is difficult to climb to the second floor without getting tired. But I cannot afford to take a break at a time when almost half of my colleagues are down with Covid-19. My husband and two daughters also got infected because of me,” she said.

A senior nursing officer at Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) Hospital said two of her colleagues lost their husbands to Covid-19. Similarly, officials at the Employees’ State Insurance Model Hospital in Basaidarapur said many of their colleagues have been discharging their duties despite having personal losses. Babita Rani, a senior nursing officer at the hospital, said, “A colleague recently lost her husband to Covid-19. The husbands of two other nurses are currently undergoing treatment for Covid-19 at the hospital. They are performing their duty without a break. It’s very difficult but we cannot help. We all need some therapy for our mental well being once the dust settles.”