KOCHI: When the pandemic broke out, health workers, including nurses, were at the forefront to safeguard humankind. Society even tagged them ‘frontline warriors’. But the fact is, they too are humans, and have lives of their own. Meet Shilpa Sanal, who has been a staff nurse at Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram, for the past two years. She is one among thousands of nurses who had to stay away from their families and children to join the fight against a wrathful virus.
Last year, Shilpa, a native of Aryanadu, rushed to join duty leaving her one-year-old son Arush with her elderly mother. “I have missed watching my son grow. He is now two-and-a-half years old. I couldn’t even breastfeed him as I was away most of last year due to my shifts. This is not just my story. Many nurses have kept their family-related duties aside to take care of people,”she says.
However, Shilpa is diligently performing her duty. “We have no problem doing our duty. But we wish for a bit of rest between the hectic shifts. Even though all of us have been vaccinated, many tested positive for Covid later. We can only overcome our tiredness and gain healthy bodies if we get adequate rest. Wearing the PPT kit for over four hours during menstruation days is extremely taxing,” she says.
Shilpa is now residing alone at Vattiyoorkavu for an easy commute. Her family and husband have been supporting her through this journey. “Being a young mother, it was emotionally difficult for me to be away from my kid. Due to Covid duty, I had sent my husband and kid to my parents in Aryanadu,” Shilpa shares and rushes back as duty calls at the Covid ward in the Medical College Hospital.