Corona Chronicles

Entering into the Corona Isolation Ward with my colleague doctor, wearing personal protective equipment, the ward was sweltering and we had to wear the PPE for straight eight hours without any break. I immediately started sweating but had to endure it. It was a more than 20-bedded male ward and us two doctors had to manage all these patients. Of course we were the hope of life for these patients, who were wearing oxygen masks, trying to contain oxygen in their blood, taking each breath with great effort. I thought I may show this all to the outer world that still thinks this pandemic is not a reality but a ploy. The face shield and visor was blurring my view but I started my duty by monitoring vitals, checking saturation, revising treatment tickets and addressing patients' active complaints etc.

A day back, I glanced at the duty roster sent by the administration of the hospital that stated that I had been called for Covid ward duty for a week. As a doctor we have to give our services wherever we are deputed or whenever we have been called. Although being a neurology resident, we were not dealing with symptomatic Covid patients first hand but I consider every doctor doing their duty anywhere as a front-liner as you never know which  patient you encounter in OPD or in the ward may be asymptomatic or may have very minimal symptoms of the disease that could easily be overlooked. Our hospital called doctors for Covid ward from all departments of the hospital as when there is an emergency or a pandemic, it is obligatory for every doctor to put in his services irrespective of their primary work place.

Since February 2020 all the doctors and paramedic staff members are combating fearlessly with this pandemic, risking their lives and not stepping back from their duties. From the beginning, the general demeanor of our public that we see everyday on social media and television is very dispiriting regarding understanding the graveness of the situation and adopting protective measures in order to minimize and to control the spread of disease and the things don't stop here. There are people out there who think that this pandemic is a hoax or a conspiracy against Muslims and our health care department is equally a culprit.

We see and hear such statements from public daily:

* Corona shrona kuch nahin hai (There is no such thing as Corona)

* Hum nay to koi case nahin daikha (We haven't seen a single case)

* Israeli sazish hai yeh musalmanon k khilaf (This is an Israili conspiracy against the Muslims)

* Zehar k teekay laga k maar rahay hain doctor log (Doctors are killing people by injecting them)

* Drama hai yeh sara (This is all a drama)

* Acha bhala bunda hota hai bus aisay hi doctor k pass chalay jayen to corona ward main daal daitay hain aur phir kuch ghantay baad laash hawalay kartay hain (Doctors throw in every patient into the corona ward and then present the corpse)

* Taboot main to lash hoti hi nahin bus kath kabar bhar daitay hain or lash to doctor 3-4 lakh main amrikion ko baich daitay hain (There is no corpse in the coffin. They sell it to the Americans for 3-4 lakhs)

Of course it's really heartbreaking seeing such comments when we health care professionals are risking our lives to treat the affected individuals. Despite these rumors and tattles, we doctors are doing 8 hours duty in Covid wards and on parallel, our colleagues in emergency wards are doing straight 12 hours long duties, wearing protective gears that includes Hazmat suits, double gloves, double face masks, show covers, goggles and visors. In peak summer days and in this hot and humid climate wearing PPEs, when we are perspiring badly, unable to drink and eat or even to go to restroom, we can't chafe or wipe off dribbling sweat on our faces, ignoring dermatitis because of long hours of wearing gloves and PPEs, painful marks on nose bridge and face from face masks and unhesitatingly going bed to bed and checking vitals of patients, monitoring oxygen saturation, touching and comforting patients and giving them hope of survival. Are we doing all this as a part of some drama? Is the fact that we risking our lives and our families who are at the brink of catching the infection from us just a screenplay or theatrical performance? Are we health professionals such dumb heads that we are enduring such hazardous duties as a part of some play?

We, the health professionals and law enforcing personnel and all those people who are assisting and paying their services to control the spread of the virus don't want to boast about what we are doing. It's our responsibility to do all this. We just demand from the public to help us fight against this deadly virus so that our family and your families may not suffer from it.

We are witnessing the increasing number of patients and the pain and fear on their faces when they are taking each breath with effort, continuously needing oxygen, fighting with infection, body aches and longing for recovery.

Recovery of the patient is our real strength that keeps us motivated to do our work with utmost effort. We don't want appreciation, we want help from our public to fight against this pandemic. Let's work together, as without public's responsible attitude and support, control over this pandemic cannot be possible. As Iqbal has said

خدا نے آج تک اس قوم کی حالت نہیں بدلی

  نہ ہو جس کو خیال آپ اپنی حالت کے بدلنے کا

(God does not change the circumstances of that nation that does not ponder upon its own situation)

Dr Arifa Shahab

Postgraduate Resident

Neurology Department

SGRH/FJMU LHR