For any bride, getting back to work six days after a wedding, is quite extreme, but doing so at a Covid-19 care centre requires great courage, something which Dr Harleen Kaur is not short of by any means.
This emergency medical officer at the Phase-6 civil hospital, a designated Covid-19 centre, rejoined duty on April 11 after her simple wedding on April 5.
Just eight family members, including the parents and siblings of the couple attended the event.
And since then, Kaur has been working without any leave. “I had applied for leave for 15 days, but duty comes first. I am doing night duty now, but this is the best one can do in a crisis.”
Yes, women do want a little time to themselves after marriage, she admits, “but my little contribution to work can help.”
Being at the forefront of the battle against the virus is service to the nation, “which we are doing with an indomitable spirit,” says the medical officer.
Tackling the virus is a new experience for her, so she has to be careful as it is highly contagious, “but yes, we are taking extra precautions as medical staff is more exposed and at a higher risk to more viral particles than the general public,” she says.
{{/usCountry}}Tackling the virus is a new experience for her, so she has to be careful as it is highly contagious, “but yes, we are taking extra precautions as medical staff is more exposed and at a higher risk to more viral particles than the general public,” she says.
{{/usCountry}}Admitting that her family is “a little scared as the civil hospital is the main hospital in the district to treat Covid-19 patients, and doctors can be a little vulnerable than normal because of a combination of stress and long hours,” Kaur feels devotion to duty makes things easier.
Dr Manjeet Singh, civil surgeon, Mohali, who is monitoring the entire healthcare system in the district says, health professionals are the ones, who shoulder most of the weight during a crisis such as pandemics. “These people are working non-stop to manage hospitals and are surrounded by patients in pain constantly,” he adds.