TIRUCHY: Time heals all wounds, and by the spirit of this proverb, we have all learnt to live with the virus. But spare a thought for those in the medical field for whom things have only taken a turn for the worse.
They had hoped for some respite to come their way when the number of cases dwindled. But, within a matter of just days, they were back to square one. But this time, bereft of the mental strength that led them last year.
Speak to any doctor or nurse, and the exhaustion in their voice will grieve you.
“The isolation in quarantine rooms due to the constant Covid rotations for the past one year has severely affected the mental health of doctors. Add to it, the callousness of public towards precaution guidelines. This second wave has hit us much harder than the first wave,” Emergency Physician Dr Mohamed Hakkim said.
The case is also not different for medical students who reached the colleges to bolster up their careers. The post graduate students are overworked and ready to drop. Many haven’t seen their families in a long time and have a difficult time.
“Since last March we are on duty. We feel lost and alone. Fortunately, the fatality rate is very low now. Even then, a single death affects us so much. We will be the last ones to spend time with that person. We always have our PPE kits on, and have think many times if it is safe to remove it even to drink a glass of water. With the house surgeons completing their courses, the entire work has fallen on us,” says a PG student from MGMGH Tiruchy.
Doctors and nurses say that wearing PPEs for hours is another predicament altogether.
“It leads to exhaustion, dehydration, latex allergies, contact dermatitis, etc. The physical effects are tolerable; it is the mental health that bears the brunt. We also have to be very careful at home and stay away from our families,” they added.
“It has been months since I hugged my children,” says a nurse at MGMGH Tiruchy.
Pudukkottai District Mental Health officer Dr Karthik Deivanayagam says that more focus has to be given to the mental health of healthcare workers.
“The basic nature of this job is stressful. Add to that a pandemic. This has forced us to be on our toes 24x7, even at homes, he added. Next time you grumble on the irritation of wearing masks, recall these unsung heroes.”