KARWAR: This is a story of three sons, who were infected by Covid-19, and their mother, who is in her 90s and ailing. When the three children tested positive and the authorities wanted to shift them to a Covid-designated hospital in Karwar, they refused to move, saying they could not keep their mother alone at home as she needed constant care.
Moved by the son’s concern, officials heeded to their request and shifted their mother too to the hospital, but to a separate ward. The risk paid off, as the three were cured and discharged after seven days, while the mother too returned home without any hassles.
The 96-year-old woman was staying at Sadashivghad near Karwar, while the sons worked in Mumbai. After they returned to their hometown recently, all the three tested positive. But they refused to be shifted to the hospital, and when the officials inquired, they came to know that the sons did not want to leave their enfeebled mother at home, all by herself, as there was no one to take care of her.
Gajanan Naik, Dean, Karwar Institute of Medical Sciences, told TNIE, “We were initially clueless and informed the deputy commissioner of Uttara Kannada and assistant commissioner Karwar, who too tried to convince the infected sons. As is the procedure, we took the swab sample of the woman and fortunately, she tested negative.
We tried to convince the sons saying that because of their mother’s advanced age, she could be at a higher risk of contracting the virus. But they refused to listen. We decided to take an undertaking from the sons and shifted the woman to a room adjacent to the ward where her sons were being treated.” He said, “We ensured that she never came in contact with any Covid patients at the hospital.
Whenever it was felt necessary, she was wheeled around. Her sons were in the hospital for seven days and were discharged. Just before the woman left the hospital, her swab samples were taken again and tested. It returned negative.”