Gifts, messages, poems: Covid doctors repaid in kind

These are examples of gestures of gratitude from the public as well as the people who were in the isolation ward to the health staff of KMCH, the Covid hospital. 
Dr R Sreejith’s pencil sketch of Dr VK Shameer, Dr Aquil Kalanad and himself which is getting attention on Facebook at the moment.
Dr R Sreejith’s pencil sketch of Dr VK Shameer, Dr Aquil Kalanad and himself which is getting attention on Facebook at the moment.

KOZHIKODE: “Thank you, for saving lives,” reads the paper ribbon tied around a couple of packets of dry fruits sent to the doctors and health staff of Covid-19 isolation ward at Kozhikode Medical College Hospital (KMCH). Two youngsters bring a bunch of tender coconuts to the ward and distribute them among the staff without even mentioning their name. A man donates a mobile phone to the Covid ICU.

These are examples of gestures of gratitude from the public as well as the people who were in the isolation ward to the health staff of KMCH, the Covid hospital. “Faizal, who was in isolation twice, used to send his poems expressing his gratitude. Rasheed, a Kunnamangalam native, was the person who donated the mobile phone to the ICU,” says Dr V K Shameer, one of the Covid nodal officers of KMCH.

“Many volunteers come and ask if they have to do anything or we are in need of anything,” says Dr Sreejith R, the first Covid nodal officer of KMCH. “An 84-year-old patient from Kannur has been our most challenging positive case so far.He had a stroke last year and he was suffering from a kidney disease and pneumonia. But he was cured and discharged on Saturday. That was the most satisfactory case. His son used to call us daily to express his gratefulness,” says Sreejith.Sanjul, a Punur native, who was also discharged from the isolation ward, frequently catches up with nurses to convey his news and to know the latest at the Covid ward. 

Trio of general medicine dept at KMCH wins hearts

The isolation ward at KMCH was set up in a small way in January, when the first wave of infections was reported in the state. Dr Sreejith was the first nodal officer in-charge under the Infectious Diseases head Dr Sheela Mathew. When Dr Sheela had to go on leave due to personal issues, Sreejith became a one-man army preparing the hospital to receive Covid-19 patients. Soon, Dr Shameer and Dr Aquil Kalanad joined as nodal officers.

The trio had sweated it out till April 22, before handing over the baton to three new nodal officers. As many as 22 positive cases got admitted during the period. Both Dr Sreejith and Shameer are under quarantine now and Dr Aquil has completed quarantine and rejoined duty. Dr Sreejith’s pencil sketch of the trio on Facebook is grabbing attention at the moment.

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