Delhi's nurses on missing their own beds to becoming part of their patients' family
New Delhi: Healthcare workers have been working round the clock since last year when the pandemic hit India in full force. However, it was the second wave that is a testing time for them. And as nurses look to spend their second consecutive Nurses' Day while dealing with the pandemic, many in Delhi share their stories.
Kanishk Yadav, a nursing officer at AIIMS has been handling Covid patients since last year. He recovered from Covid-19 a week ago and immediately joined work. "When the second wave hit, it came with a force where almost everyone were coming out positive. I remember giving CPR to a positive patient and then got exposed to four other patients. I after that started getting symptoms. When I was in isolation my only regret was not being able to help people. We have taken an oath that we want to fulfill," he said.
Yadav also said that this wave is more brutal than the previous year which did not require the manpower it does now. "There were let's say 10 per cent of workforce required last year, compared to that everyone in hospitals is on Covid duty now," he said. Yadav said that although he has not lost his loved ones due to the virus, few of his colleagues had succumbed to the virus.
Meanwhile, 39-year-old Jincy Sara Jacob, Nursing Superintendent at Ujala Cygnus Group of Hospitals said it is difficult to stay away from family, but the call of duty is equally important. "Staying away from loved one, sleeping on a sofa or in a separate room at home, not hugging and kissing children — these are the sacrifices that we nurses and other front-line workers are making every day to care for COVID-19 patients, which people often fail to acknowledge, all the efforts and services of nurses who give their heart and soul into servicing others. Initially, it was a little scary for us but later we realized that it was the call of the duty," she said.
46-year-old Priya, Nursing Supervisor, Heart Command Center 1, at Fortis Escorts Heart Institute said that it was difficult time for healthcare workers but they cannot stop their duty. "Since last year, when the pandemic hit the nation, I have been working with COVID-19 patients. I engage with them daily to provide them with all the necessary support. The situation became very difficult for us; however, we could not stop doing our duties. It was a time when our patients needed us most. Everyday we wear our PPE kits — they are not the most comfortable, it is tough for us to go to the washroom and even drink water in them. Yet, we wear them and take all the necessary precautions and continue to do our duties," she said, adding that since last year the mutant virus is spreading fast. Priya and her family are recovering from the virus.
45-year-old Lovelen Sunil, Chief of Nursing Services at Columbia Asia Hospital said that patients are like their families now. "A change that this pandemic has made in our life is that we now have become an integral part of our patients' family. Since the family members are not allowed in the COVID wards, we have become their extended family. As a family, we give them the courage and hope to fight the disease besides giving them the medical attention. Many recovered patients still call and message us after getting discharged from the hospital."
