Delhi Doctor shares experience of first day of working in COVID ward: 'Duty comes first'

It's almost going to be a year since world was introduced to COVID-19 Coronavirus, and it has been eight months since entire planet, including India, has been under a lockdown. While India is visibly recording a higher recovery rate of COVID-19 patients, same cant be said for or countries who are preparing to undergo a second lockdown as virus deaths surge. 

In all chaos of dealing with COVID-19 pandemic, several leers, organisations, personalities have come forward to offer ir thanks to frontline warriors. Warriors who have led fight against virus through different professions, battling different challenges. 

While COVID-19 ignited fear amongst people, virus also scared doctors, who are at frontline dealing firsthand with COVID-19 patients. As scary as it might be for us to find out that one of our relatives or family members has contracted COVID-19, it's equally difficult for doctors to walk into a COVID ward for first time managing patients.

Gaurav Kumar, a doctor posted at Ram Mahar Lohia Hospital in Delhi described his experience of working during this pandemic and treating COVID-19 patients daily. Posted in a COVID-19 isolation ward, Dr Gaurav works in an alternate 12 hr shift at hospital. He works for 15 days and is n under quarantine for a week, like all or doctors. 

While government has ensured a hotel room for doctors, Dr Gaurav shares that it can get completely 'boring' sometimes, since y don't venture out 'unless absolutely necessary'. Touting that 'duty always comes first', doctors have avoided going back to ir homes and visit ir families. RML doctor quipped, "I have a responsibility to treat patients while also protecting ors from acquiring infection."

Recalling his first day of duty in a COVID-19 ward, Dr Gaurav shared how a usual day turned into one with uncertainty and fear. 

It was a usual day. I was looking after my patients in casualty when I got a letter informing that I've been posted in COVID-19 ward from very next day. My jaw dropped to floor, but somehow, I mand to get back to rmal. When first day of my duty in a ward treating COVID-19 patients came, I was filled with uncertainty. I ate my breakfast and geared up to he to my destination. 

As I reached ward, I met my exhausted counterpart who was on night shift. I took a handover from him and he left. phone was constantly ringing with people enquiring about health of ir family members. But before I enter ward, nursing personnel assisted me in wearing PPE kit. From face shields to goggles, from cover suit to shoe covers, I was covered like an astronaut. 

Stress and anxiety filled me when I saw patients were lying on bed without any attendants. On some moments, some of se patients left for ir heavenly abode without meeting ir loved ones for one last time. It was honestly heartbreaking to break news to ir family members. My work inside ward is to take rounds, assess patients' general and systemic condition and provide necessary instructions to nursing staff. 

As time passed, I started feeling uncomfortable. goggles started feeling hazy and it was very difficult to look through it. N95 mask started hurting me. It was at that moment when I missed my duty at General OPDs, since that was an easy task compared to this. 

It was finally 8 pm and I finished my shift. My colleague, on a night shift walked in and honestly, it bought me a sense of hope. I took my PPE kit off (haunting task for me), gave a handover to my colleague and left, hoping for my next shift to go better and pandemic to end soon. 

(im: Representational/File)