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HT Salutes: This man skipped his child’s first birthday to sell essential medicines
HT Salutes: In the fight against the contagious coronavirus disease, some people have been tirelessly putting themselves at risk, working round the clock to keep the wheels of life moving. Here we put the spotlight at those taking care of infected patients, collecting waste, and ensuring that people get essential supplies.
In his 15 years of running a pharmacy, Shamim Ahmed has missed many anniversaries and family functions because of the nature of his job. This year, he decided to keep his shop shut for a day and made plans to celebrate his daughter’s first birthday on April 2.
A venue was booked and caterers were hired to arrange a party that would be the biggest their neighbourhood had seen. Ahmed and his wife had been planning the party since January. As the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) spread across the world and reached India, the plans fell apart. “We still thought that as a backup plan, we’ll have a dinner together as a family, but who was to know that even that plan would not materialise,” Ahmed, who owns AK Pharma Solutions,in south Delhi’s Gautam Nagar, says.
On April 2, when his only daughter turned one year old, Ahmed spent his entire day in his pharmacy selling face masks, gloves and essential drugs to his customers. Most of the day, he was on his phone tracking the movement of a delivery person who had to drop in with some essential medicines that Ahmed’s pharmacy was short on.
The rush of customers, in fact, forced him to keep his shop open for hours beyond the closing time of 10 pm. He says that by the time he reached home, carefully keeping his clothes and shoes aside for washing, and cleaned himself up to meet his daughter, she was already asleep.
“I know she will not remember any of this, and we will get a chance to spend many birthdays in life. This is when people need me the most and I cannot think only about myself and my family at such a crucial time,” the 37-year-old says.
To ensure the safety of his staff, he has only kept one employee to help him in the pharmacy and given the rest time off with pay until the lockdown ends,
He is also been maintaining a distance from his family to save them from any kind of infection. He sleeps in a separate room and ensures that he does not sit too close to his daughter.
“Two people were found coronavirus-positive in this neighbourhood and that has created panic. I know I cannot close my shop and sit at home, but I do fear for my family’s safety. So, the best way to do that {ensure their safety} is to take precautions,” he said.
