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National Doctors’ Day: Meet corona warriors who are going the extra mile
This National Doctor’s Day, meet the real life superheroes aka doctors who are not just working around the clock, but also going beyond to help the society.
The unprecedented times due to Covid-19 pandemic have demanded some extraordinary efforts from the healthcare professionals. Working in 48 hour shifts in high risk environments while sweltering in PPE kits, the medical practitioners have been doing it all, as the frontline warriors against coronavirus. But that’s not all for some doctors have been going beyond their call of duty to help others survive the difficulties.
For families of patients stranded at night shelters outside AIIMS in Delhi, when the lockdown was announced, the situation became worse. Dr Vijay Kumar Gurjar, assistant professor of Geriatric Medicine at AIIMS, took upon himself to provide meals to these family members of patients. He has even made arrangements for access to sanitisers and masks for about a 1,000 people in the slum areas while his social work continues within AIIMS. “As opposed to earlier practice, we are now making two meals available to attendants of patients as well. For them, with nearby places closed, it was hard to make food arrangements. No one should have to go hungry at this hour,’’ Gurjar opines.
The need to serve people was also at the core of Gurugram-based gynecologist, Dr Aruna Kalra’s decision when she took the call to keep aside one day in the week to treat for free, those patients who’ve lost their jobs and women who are pregnant. “The situation is exceptionally difficult for people who have lost their jobs during the lockdown. Many pregnant women are finding it very difficult to afford the expense for their treatment. For me, as a doctor, my patients’ health is my first priority,’’ says Kalra. Her concern extends for her nursing staff; she has been cooking all meals for them! “They (nursing staff) give their 100% in taking care of the patients, but often end up neglecting their own health. I feel it’s my responsibility to take care of them as my family,” adds Kalra.
Some doctors have even come forth to be angels in disguise for those who have been living through the pandemic alone, and even departing this planet alone. “Everyone deserves to be buried with dignity,’’ says Dr Deepak Devgan, a senior pharmacy officer at Civil Hospital in Amritsar. Devgan has been cremating unclaimed bodies during the pandemic. “There have been instances where the kin have refused to cremate the body of their relative fearing infection while some bodies have been found lying unclaimed in public areas, and were brought to us. I’ve cremated almost 50 people during the lockdown,” shares Devgan, feeling sad that misinformation around coronavirus has led to people not coming forward to put the dead to rest, in a respectful manner.
“Indeed the lack of information needs to be addressed during the pndemic,” says Dr Preet Hathi, a senior resident doctor of surgery at Ahmedabad’s Civil Hospital. When on duty, Hathi contracted Covid-19 on May 5. But soon after his recovery, he started donating plasma, and has done it twice by now. “One plasma helps two patients. The idea that I’m directly the cause for recovery of four patients means a lot to me,” he says adding, “Ahmedabad has had about 20,000 patients so far, and only less than 50-60 plasma donations. Even in these, 20 or so would be doctors. We need more people to know that this is safe and effective, and one of the ways to show it is to do yourself,” urges Hathi.
Author tweets @Bhagat_Mallika
