An untold saga of indomitable spirit of Covid-19 warriors; Sr. Staff Nurse working in PICU says seeing smiles on her patients is her biggest joy in Covid times

Jammu: In these difficult times, when the world as a whole is locked up inside the homes and life has come to a still, there are few, who on the call of their duty and sense of responsibility are sleeves up for this war against unseen enemy. Health care workers, these days are running from pillar to post to cater to the crisis which mankind is going through. Drenched in sweat, packed in PPE kits, a whole army of healthcare and frontline workers is up in arms in this contest.

In that army, one such soldier is Mamta Sharma. Despite helping mothers deliver 45 babies in the past three weeks, Senior Staff Nurse, Mamta Sharma herself hasn’t been able to hug her own children since Covid pandemic began. ‘My shift runs around 12 hours a day and when I reach home, I make sure that I am nowhere around my kids’. She works at MCH Gandhi Nagar and her job includes attending Neonatal Intensive Care Units, NICU and Paediatric Intensive Care Units, PICU.

‘We have successfully helped Covid positive mothers deliver healthy babies. The child is handed over only after the mother tests Covid negative’, she proudly explains. She has also helped conduct surgeries of various kinds on Covid positive patients.

While talking what is driving her to do her duty despite crises, Mamta proudly says that nothing gives her more happiness than seeing the smile on the faces of her patients. During the tough times of the pandemic, she said if there is one thing that is like a ray of hope, it is bringing a new life into the world. She said that the Doctors and the paramedics are working day and night to save the lives of the patients and are taking full precaution to ensure that Covid appropriate norms are followed in the Hospitals.

When asked about how she helps her kids with their studies, she says, ‘I and my husband have bought them a separate handset for online studies. I do not let them use my phone anymore. I sit at a distance and help them as much as I can’. She urged people like her who are in the front line of duty to take adequate precautions while at home so as to ensure the safety of their families. She also urged the public to rise to the occasion and follow Covid appropriate behaviour like wearing a mask, maintaining social distancing, frequent hand washing and avoid going out of their homes unnecessarily. She said while they as paramedics have a duty to the patients, people should also come forward and cooperate with the doctors and paramedics in their fight against Covid 19.

According to the World Health Organisation, data from many countries indicate that COVID-19 infections among health workers are far greater than those in the general population. While health workers represent only two to three percent of any country’s population, yet around 14 percent of the Covid-19 cases are among health workers. In some countries the figure is as high as 35 percent. Thousands of health workers have already lost lives to the pandemic worldwide. The pandemic has also placed enormous psychological stress on these frontline workers. It is the time we recognise their contribution and play our part in fight against coronavirus pandemic by rendering support to those on the frontier.