The Tale Of The Frontline Workers: In conversation with doctors about their COVID-19 duty!

Sweating day and night in the PPE Kit, constantly hearing the "beep beep" sound in the ICU, motivating patients, talking to their relatives, feeling helpless, and witnessing deaths even after giving their best! We can't even imagine what these doctors aka our Covid Warriors go through during their Covid-19 duty.

It will not be wrong to say that this pandemic has fallen directly on the shoulders of our medical professionals. Some of them have been in their COVID-19 duty for 48 or more hours without taking a single break. Their bodies are constantly sweating as they are wrapped up in the PPE, while their faces have been suffocating under the double masks. They are working tirelessly, and we can't thank them enough. That is the reason why Local Samosa decided to ask doctors about their experiences with their COVID-19 duty, and they had a lot to tell us. Keep reading to know how are they working in such a tough time!

1. "When a patient kept her son’s name after mine"

"It was tough as I work for the Neurosurgery Department mainly, and the Covid Room is completely different. Everything was new for me, and it was pretty challenging TBH. Unfortunately, I was got Covid-positive in the first wave. After recovery, I rejoined my duty. One day a lady came and she requested me to donate Plasma. So, I went to the Rotary Club in Bangalore and donated. After a while, I was informed that it was given to a pregnant lady. I reached out to her, and she told me that she was very happy to have received plasma from a doctor. She then asked my name and kept her son’s name after mine. This has stuck with me since then and makes me very happy."

Another incident that makes me really happy is when I met a 90-year-old patient during my Covid-19 duty. She was lying on the bed. I tried communicating with her but she did not respond. After calling her family I came to know that she had some memory issues. She hadn’t taken her lunch, so I fed her for 35 to 40 minutes. I would visit her every day at least once, but after a while, I couldn’t keep up. After a few days, I came to know that she had been discharged. We never got a chance to know each other’s names, but that’s how humanity works. Strangers help you, and even though there is constant pressure, and responsibility, such incidents make us stronger and keeps us going." - Dr.Dattatraya, Neurosurgery Trainee at Sakra World Hospital in Bangalore.

2. " Sometimes it feels like we are working in a ‘Death OPD'

"We are seeing deaths every now and then. It’s so bad that it feels like we are working in a ‘Death OPD’. Sometimes It becomes very difficult to even reveal or disclose the loss of a patient to their loved ones. There is one such case that I just can’t forget. I was in the ward, where a lady was critical. When I went out to tell her son that your mother is critical, and there’s a chance that we won’t be able to save her. He joined both his hands and pleaded, “ Doctor Saahab please kuch bhi karke bacha lo, abhi upar se papa ki dead body leke aaya hu.”

I felt helpless because I knew his mother won’t make it. I was completely blank and had tears in my eyes. After half an hour his mother died. I could not gather the courage to disclose her death to him and requested it for the next doctor on duty. I could not sleep that night, and kept thinking about the boy who had lost both his parents on the same day. This pandemic is hard to survive for not just us who are working day and night in PPE kits sweating in Covid-19 duty but also for the people who are suffering. Covid is not good, I request people to take it seriously, and take all precautions." - Dr.Shiraz Shaikh, Orthopedic surgeon, BDBA (Shatabdi) hospital municipal General Kandivali.

3. "When the chances of recovery are close to none"

"Come 2021, the second wave has been much more aggressive. The treatments are still experimental and the resources available have been scarce. The whole hospital goes through it. Right now, we are still working round the clock, monitoring the patients and hoping all of us together can beat Coronavirus. There are so many instances where patients recover from a very poor state. Saturation as low as 25 and they still manage to recover. It goes to show that nothing really is impossible. Stories of sacrifice, that we have witnessed as well, when the chances of recovery are close to none, giving up the bed to someone who may need urgent intervention, these stories inspire us to keep going." - Dr.Prateek Makwana Consultant Embryologist, Vasundhara Hospital Ltd, Jodhpur.

4. " I was in a depression"

" I have tested positive twice during the Pandemic, and it's been a terrible experience. Last year I went completely into depression. When I tested positive for the first time I couldn't stop crying even when after getting hospitalized. I don't think I had ever cried that much in my life before. I came to Coimbatore 2 years ago for my DNB and so I stay alone. After a couple of days, I was supposed to fly and see my husband, but then I was found positive. I was in the hospital for a month and it was very depressing.

A few days ago, we were treating a pregnant lady, and as soon as we were done with the delivery, we were informed that she was COVID-19 positive. I was admitted again. It's been more than 2 weeks and I have my repeat test in a couple of days. I'd like to tell everybody who is in home isolation to keep themselves busy and eat healthily. Watch movies, do yoga or meditate. Please take care and take precautions." - Dr. Shaikh, M.B.BS, and a Final Year DNB student at Sri Ramakrishna Hospital.

5. "I have been sleeping only 2,3 hours a day"

" We did not see such high mortality in the first wave, and honestly, I was not emotionally prepared. I had hit rock bottom by seeing people suffer and seeing limited resources in their fate. When I came to know that one of my very close friends was also COVID-positive, I was scared. His C.T score was 12-13. I could not see him in person as he was 10 hours away from me, and I felt helpless. There were no beds available, but, somehow we got one for him, and started his treatment. The next day I found that 4 of my family members too were now positive, and it literally broke me. I was doing my COVID-19 duty while getting reports, doing sonography, and attending infinite calls for beds and oxygen. Those 6 days were the worst days of my life.

I was sleeping for only 2, 3 hours during my duty, and I was on my toes looking after patients. Eventually, my family members and my friend got better and I finally saw a light at the end of a dark tunnel. I am at my happiest when I fill up the maximum number of discharge cards and send people home. I hope to see things better in the future"
-Dr.Kiran Patil Radiologist in Shatabdi municipal General hospital Kandivali.

6. " I couldn’t reach my mother on time when she met with an accident and during her surgery"

A young girl of 18 years, allowing herself to get examined only if I was standing near her. A depressed 70yr old diabetic patient refusing to eat properly for 2 days and then finally getting motivated to eat after I had counseled him and made him talk to his family. Going out of my way and duty hours to inform the patient's family that their mother’s vitals are normal. Counseling a patient with anxiety at 2 am and then waking up again at 6 am to inform another patient’s family that their father is getting discharged. I kept thinking the almighty is sending them my way so that I can help them. 

The biggest hit of reality that I got was when a first-year dental student started crying over teleconsultation because he did not have enough money to buy a home isolation package for his mother. That night the words of my late great-grandmother flooded my thoughts, that I should help my patients for free. That’s when I started consulting patients online without taking any fees. I also remember a case where a diabetic patient was being asked to shift from his private room, as there was the risk of fungal infection. He was insisting to not change his room so, I had to leave my work and help him shift. He later thanked me and introduced me to his family on a video call.

I once, couldn’t reach my mother on time when she met with an accident and had to go through surgery. I have gone through difficult days yet there is hope and faith in the almighty that as I am helping someone else’s mother, he will send someone to help my mother as well." -Dr. Sarah Fatima Khurshid, Junior Doctor in Era Hospital Lucknow.

7. "Every person coming into the premise has swords hanging over them, a slight carelessness and it falls over us"

" It has been almost a year since I am treating patients on COVID-19 duty. With the long working hours, day and night duties in that airtight PPE kit, I sometimes feel like giving up. The shortage of medical supplies sometimes makes me feel extremely helpless. Watching people around shouting, crying, screaming in tears after losing their loved ones hurts no matter how many times you have seen it. And, the worst part is that they can't even see them for one last time. I have seen them dying alone with the statement "Patient ABC died due to COVID-19 Infection" and everything else is left unsaid. 

Deceased bodies are wrapped up completely and buried or burnt in anonymous places. Every person coming into these premises has swords hanging over them, a slight carelessness and it falls over us. I have seen people suffering, screaming, and crying in front of me, and it felt terrible. But, all we can do is work tirelessly and treat the patients, and this is what everyone has been doing. We have to stay strong. I am glad that now the situation is getting better."

-Dr.Md.Saif a Junior Resident Doctor Working at AIIMS New Delhi.

8. The worst was seeing a young patient die

I've been working in COVID since last April, so almost from the very beginning. Every day we were seeing a couple of deaths, new patients coming, some deteriorating and some improving. The worst was seeing a young patient die. My colleague lost his brother (27 years old) in my ward, fighting against severe Covid-19. When the number changes into a name, that's the worst feeling.

A mother and son, ages around 65 and 40, both with severe covid-19 were admitted with us on the same day and were immediately put on Ventilatory support. Both were with us for more than a month. Slowly and gradually both improved. While we were able to remove the oxygen requirement of the mother completely in a couple of weeks, the son was however constantly requiring oxygen even after one month. And the family was not affording enough to get an oxygen machine at home. The mother became completely alright and could be discharged. However, she refused to go home without her son and she stayed on for 2 more weeks, nurtured her son to good health, and finally, both got discharged on the same day.

Another incident that I remember is about  A young school teacher, hailing from Rajasthan travelled all the way to Mumbai due to the non-availability of beds in his area. By the time he reached our hospital, he was having an oxygen saturation of only 70% and required ventilatory support due to deterioration in his condition. However, we were able to get him out of the Ventilator over a period of 15-20 days and were able to send him back to his hometown. I guess travelling all the way to Mumbai from Rajasthan proved to be a good decision for him taking a risk for his health.

- Dr. Yash Kedia, Resident Doctor in respiratory medicine at Sion Hospital, Mumbai. 

Medical is indeed a noble profession, and doctors deserve nothing but our respect. They are real heroes, and we can never pay for their hard work and patience. Let's stay home, get vaccinated, and take all necessary precautions so that these covid warriors can take breaks, and work well during their COVID-19 duty.

Also Read: The tale of frontline workers: Dr. Yuvraj Jadeja describes how his first surgery on a COVID-19 positive pregnant woman is unforgettable

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