‘We want this to end’, say Hyderabadi doctors on Covid duty

Though they are happy to serve people, frontline heroes too have days when they break down mentally

Hyderabad: “It is our duty to serve people. And being able to do that especially during a pandemic is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. We are somehow blessed to be able to use our expertise during these crisis situations,” says Dr Justin Andrew from the Gandhi Hospital when asked about the stress while treating Covid-19 patients.

Though they are happy to help many affected families, these frontline heroes too have days when they break down mentally and just wish for the chaos to end. “The major fear is our family. As we are exposed to the virus, despite taking all safety measures, there is always a fear of us transmitting the virus to our close ones. We can’t be in close contact with our family members and always have to maintain a healthy distance, which is psychologically draining at times. Though we are given a quarantine period of a few days after every shift of a week or 10 days, the mind is never at rest because of this fear,” shares Dr Andrew.

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PPE kit

Beyond everything, wearing a PPE kit for six to eight hours without being able to do any regular activities like eating, or using the washroom is a tiresome task. “Once the kit is worn, we cannot get out of it for hours. Doctors having night duty cannot remove the kit the entire night. As there is no air circulation inside the PPE kits, our body naturally sweats continuously which is physically exhausting. The suffocation in the kit also leads to dehydration, especially during the summer. But we have no choice but to wear them to keep ourselves safe,” says Dr Naveen K from a government hospital in the city, who has recovered from Covid.

“There are times when we just want it all to end and be free of all this, but we just calm ourselves down and get back to reality where several lives are calling for our help,” Dr. Naveen adds.

Risk factor

“Even if we give the best treatment, we have seen many losing their lives, especially in the second wave. There was a 36-year-old man who succumbed a few days ago. We also lost a doctor who was in his thirties. We couldn’t bear to see his wife crying. We felt so helpless,” says Dr Naveen, adding that however, the fact that a major chunk of patients, even ones who were critical, have recovered is one major motivation.

“We have dealt with over hundred Covid positive pregnant women. Although there were complications in some, all of them delivered healthy babies. It is very satisfying to see the mother and child going home. That is the best part of our job, a satisfied and happy patient,” shares Dr Rajeshwari, head of Gynaecology, Niloufer Hospitals.

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