KOCHI: “It has been weeks since I sat with, played or cuddled my four-year-old daughter. I miss her a lot. Her babbles melt my heart. It hurts, but these are troubled times. We’re fighting a pandemic and being a doctor, I’m duty-bound to cure and mentally support the COVID-19 patients,” Dr Renu’s (name changed) eyes welled up as she shared the agony and stress she has been going through.
Though the dedication and sacrifice of doctors, nurses and attendants serving in the isolation wards of the medical colleges, where COVID-19-infected patients are treated, win them appreciation, it is often difficult for an outside person to gauge the stress they are under. They practise social distancing while mingling with the public, but are still ostracised by society.
“Friends and relatives stay away from us and call us ‘Corona’. The plight of the nurses is even more disgusting. They’ve to personally attend to patients frequently. There is a nurse who hasn’t seen her children aged two, five and eight for nearly a month,” she said.
While a section of doctors and nurses have been discharging isolation-ward duties risking their lives, many others have availed themselves of sick leave due to fear of contracting the disease.“Many doctors went on sick leave giving excuses like asthma, pregnancy and hypertension. As professionals, we can’t stay away when we are fighting a pandemic. The government has been very supportive, providing us with all safety gear and ensuring all basic facilities. I’m proud to be part of the team,” said Dr Renu.Wearing a personal protective equipment (PPE) kit and spending time in rooms without air circulation and air-conditioner can be like being in a furnace.
‘We feel exhausted by the time our duty ends’
“The gaps between the skull cap, face mask and PPE kit are sealed using medical tape. Doctors and nurses won’t be able to drink water or go to the restroom. We feel completely exhausted by the time the duty ends. However, we’re lucky compared to the plight of doctors at Parippally Medical College as they have 12-hour shifts,” said Dr Renu. She and fellow doctors at Ernakulam Medical College Hospital work in four-hour shifts for five days and six-hour continuous shifts for six days.
A1,000 is the cost of protective gear The protective gear is sprayed with disinfectant before removing them after duty change