For doctors, distanced reality with family is the new norm

The last time Dr Sushila Kataria had a proper sit-down meal with her family was in February this year.

The last time Dr Sushila Kataria had a proper sit-down meal with her family was in February this year.

HT Image

Kataria, a frontline Covid-19 doctor and head of internal medicine, Medanta Hospital, has been staying in a separate room in her house and isolating herself ever since cases of coronavirus started emerging in the city.

“I live in a separate room with a different entry and exit. My children have their own rooms. I don’t go to their rooms and even avoid touch common surfaces, such as door knobs. My children and husband eat together, while I eat by myself. While we are living under the same roof, it’s almost like to living in different houses,” said Kataria, who worked closely with the 14 Italian tourists who were treated for Covid-19 in March. She continues to work in a Covid isolation ward and follows a strict sanitisation process before she enters her house.

Even as professional responsibilities take precedence over all other tasks for Kataria, she struggles to keep a tab on her teenage children, who have been cooped up at home since the country went into a lockdown in March this year. “My children are not going to school or stepping out. Most of their time is spent alone at home, fiddling with one or more gadgets that they own. I’m unable to keep a close watch on their studies or digital consumption. It worries me since I don’t get the chance to talk to them or have a heart-to-heart conversations as before,” said Kataria.

Even after four months of living with the virus, doctors like Kataria — who have been at the frontline of tackling the spread of Covid-19 — continue to miss their lives before the pandemic took over. They live with an overwhelming sense of fear about contracting the virus and spreading it further among their family members. Juggling medical responsibilities and their chores at home was no mean task, most said. On National Doctor’s day, Hindustan Times spoke to doctors on the frontlines of the coronavirus health crisis who shared how they were treading a fine line while juggling professional duties with family responsibilities.

“I miss hugging my children as a social distance needs to be maintained. My daughter often wonders why I need to be out all the time and if someone else could perform the duty on my behalf. Every now and then, she asks when the pandemic would get over and I tell her that it will take a while,” said Kataria.

In the past four months, Kataria has been tested for Covid on four occasions. Doctors are advised to get tested every time they suspect of having contracted the virus. “Sometimes, body aches and headaches start happening. When such symptoms start appearing, we get tested since there is a fear of contracting the virus. So far, I have been tested four times and have been very lucky,” she said.

Dr Manoj Goel, director, pulmonology, at Fortis Memorial Research Institute, said that both work and life for the past four months have revolved around coronavirus. With an extension of working hours and off duty hours being dedicated to monitoring patients, the virus had upended life like never before. In the initial months of the pandemic, Goel stayed at the hospital for two weeks straight, without seeing his family . During this period, he only managed to call them up occasionally to check on their well being. “I used to call them whenever I got time.Now, my family understands that this situation demands my presence much more,” Goel.

He said that while the family was complying with physical distancing norms without any compromises, the real challenge was getting used to living with the virus at all times. “Work continues even after I return from the hospital. There is no time for entertainment or recreational activities with the family. Patient’s safety and other concerns keep us engaged all the time. My son who studies in the USA is currently at home but we don’t get the chance to spend time together,” said Goel.

Dr Naveen Kumar, nodal officer and in-charge of the Covid-isolation ward at the civil hospital, said that staying away from family in the initial months of the pandemic was tough. For one and half months, Kumar stayed away from family in a government-provided accommodation. During this duration, he relied on video calls to stay in touch with his wife and 14-year-old son. “Video calls helped a lot during that time. Occasionally, I would stand below my house and speak to my son through the balcony,” said Kumar, who is back home and is adopting strict physical distancing measures. While he gets to see his family members more, free-flowing conversations are a thing of the past for now.

“I am among those doctors who have the maximum exposure with patients. There is always a fear that one might end up infecting someone else. I sanitise myself before entering the house. The shoes, clothes, everything is changed before I enter. I make sure that no one else uses the car that I travel in,” said Kumar, adding that personal safety was absolutely important to avoid the virus. “We need to take care of the patients, ourselves, and by extension our families. One can never know when we might contract the virus,” said Kumar. “The virus has changed everything. I talk to my son, but avoid playing hanging out or doing activities with him that involve physical contact. This new distanced-reality is here to stay for now and we are gradually getting used to it,” said Kumar.

Dr Virender Yadav, chief medical officer, Gurugram, said that the administration was providing accommodation to healthcare workers, who could opt for the facility if they had any concerns with respect to spreading the virus among family members. Yadav said that all possible steps were being taken for the frequent sanitization of hospital premises and doctors had been provided with protective gear.