RANIPET: She had the opportunity to become a dentist, a teacher. But, she chose to become a nurse. When the pandemic struck, she continued to work despite having asthma — a serious co-morbid condition. She was working on contract with a government hospital in Arcot, but was not paid for the last five months. Even that did not stop her from reporting to work. Finally, when she tested positive for Covid, her family struggled for money for her treatment.
And, after all this, when she succumbed to the infection, a few members of the public even denied her a dignified send-off. This is the story of 36-year-old Archana, a frontline worker who died last Sunday. She was admitted to a private hospital in Vellore after testing positive for the virus. “I still keep seeing her face everywhere around me, hearing her voice. I cannot believe she’s gone,” says her husband Rooban, who is yet to come to terms with her demise.
Archana was shifted by the obstetrics & gynaecology unit to the outpatient department when Covid struck, and continued working there till she contracted the infection. “She scored well in Class-12, and qualified for admission to dental courses, but she wanted to become a nurse,” says Archana’s brother Arun Kumar.
“When she fell sick we had no money for treatment. She was not paid for the last five months. So, we mortgaged her gold to pay her medical bills,” says Arun.
“But, what hurt us the most was the way people gathered to disrupt her final rites,” says Arun. When Archana’s body was taken to the Navalpur cemetery, a group of over 10 people protested saying they did not want a Covid casualty buried there. After an hour-long negotiation, the officials convinced the protestors. Choking back his tears, Rooban says: “She wanted our 8-year-old son to become a cardiac surgeon and serve the poor. That was her wish.”