MYSURU: When words come up short to express gratitude to health workers, who are involved in saving thousands of lives amid the pandemic, actions speak.A young doctor, who flew down from Chandigarh, has now volunteered to work for free at the Mysuru district Covid-19 hospital where his mother, who was in a very critical state, was saved.
Dr Harsha, who hails from a family of agriculturists in Mandya district, is pursuing his doctor of medicine (MD) in Radiodiagnosis at the prestigious PGIMER, Chandigarh.The gesture has come in for much praise at a time when hospitals, especially government institutions, which are handling a majority of critical cases, are grappling with an acute shortage of staff and repeated recruitment drives have yielded no results.
It all started after Dr Harsha’s 48-year-old mother Rajalakshmi’s vitals started fluctuating, when she was under treatment for Covid-19 at a hospital in Maddur, Mandya district, and was in urgent need of an ICU bed. While many hospitals denied her a bed and washed their hands of the patient, saying she was too critical and could not be saved, the Covid-19 hospital in Mysuru agreed to take her in after initially declining to do so.
“Many had written off her case, but it was the Mysuru district hospital and Dr Rajeshwari H R, the District Surgeon, who filled us with hope and shifted her to the ICU. After 10 days of care, she is now finally out of the ICU and recuperating well,” said a relieved Dr Harsha. Inspired by the service at the hospital and the efforts of the staff in bringing his mother back from the brink, Dr Harsha landed in Mysuru, donned a PPE suit, and has been volunteering to treat patients at the hospital ever since.
“The hospital has sufficient infrastructure and facilities. But since the ICU beds are full, and with a shortage of manpower, it is challenging for the existing staff since the patients are in critical condition and each one of them needs constant attention,” he said. Dr Harsha has now extended his leave to continue his work at the Mysuru hospital. “The situation is bad in our hospital in Chandigarh too, and our services are very much needed,” he said.
Dr Rajeshwari commended Dr Harsha for his efforts. “We are in dire need of more doctors and specialists and every extra hand can make much difference,” she said.She pointed out that many doctors are still reluctant to work in Covid-19 wards. “Those who are hesitant should remember that every patient we treat is someone’s father or mother or child. Hence, we should shed our reservations and help people in this dire phase,” is her word of advice.