ROURKELA: Shakti Prasad Mohapatra (30) has not let his own suffering and the risk to his own health come in the way of his duty of keeping citizens of Rourkela safe from the dangers of Covid-19.
A haemophilic notwithstanding, he has been rendering critical role in COVID-19 management across the Rourkela city starting from micro-planning, surveillance, contact tracing, monitoring, coordination and reporting of cases every day. More often than not he gets physically and mentally exhausted. With hemophilia, at times his body does not permit him to stretch longer.
Yet, the assistant programme manager of NUHM at Rourkela Municipal Corporation works 13-15 hours daily. The bleeding disorder tries to bog him down, but his steadfast devotion and sincerity keeps him going at a crucial time when the city is witnessing a surge in positive cases.
Coronavirus cases were reported from Rourkela by the end of April. However, Shakti has been working much before that to prepare for the disease and manage it.His senior, RMC Development Consultant Bipin Chandra said he and other officials often ask Shakti to look after himself but the latter hardly listens.
Shakti is administered injections for the disorder which causes acute pain in muscles and joints. The ailment is tasking for him as he regularly visits slums for monitoring work. “He has never rested in the last five months and his smile always spreads positivity among his colleagues,” said Chandra.
Shakti said even if he saves a single life, it will be his greatest reward. His work involves registration of positive patients, contact tracing and survey, physical monitoring, coordination with ASHA workers and AWWs, swab collection and testing of personnel at field level and reporting to senior administrative officers.