Early Times Report
SAMBA, May 17: Facing a deluge of very sick patients and overfilled hospital, Samba Staff nurse Anuradha Choudhary said she keeps her growing fear at bay by focusing on her patients as the coronavirus pandemic rages around her.
Anuradha Choudhray works as a staff Nurse in the Accidental Hospital Ghagwal, Samba district and provides care to patients in the hospital. Although only 31, she has been in the job for a decade.
“I have been working for so long and now because of Covid situation it has become very challenging for us to operate but still we try to give good care” she said.
“We feel very good doing this but sometimes we also feel scared. However, despite all that we try to forget everything else, keep nourishing nice feelings in our hearts and try to be passionate towards the patients.”
Wearing a white protective suit and mask, Anuradha gently holds the hand of an elderly woman resting on a bed and monitors her oxygen level.
Her family is supportive of her work, she says, but she is afraid of bringing the virus home. “Sometimes they feel scared that I work in such risky conditions and then come home in the evening... but they still support me and I also feel good that they appreciate me for working in this field.”
“Our workload has gone up five times. All the nurses are now putting in extra hours of work. We always come on time, but we are never able to leave on time,” she said.
Speaking about the workload, said “I’ve been a nurse for long and worked in the past during disasters which would bring an influx of patients to emergency, but what is unfolding now is unprecedented. Now I’m so tired at the end of the day, that I can fall sleep anywhere. I don’t even need a bed.”
“Nursing is described as the noblest profession in the world and ‘we are called ‘sister’ for a reason. Our patients think of us as family” she said with a smile.
“Whenever a new patient is admitted to hospital, a nurse is the first person they meet and they form a special bond with us. The covid patients coming in the hospital are very afraid, so we try and motivate them,” Anuradha said.
She also feels proud when her acquaintances appreciate her work. “A neighbour recently told me that earlier she used to light one clay lamp every day at dusk to pray for the long life of her family. Since the outbreak of the virus,’ she tells me, she lights an extra lamp for my wellbeing. And that makes my job, and life, worthwhile” she said with twinkling eyes.
Anuradha asks everyone to continue taking precautions and doing their part. “This is real, and we need to take this seriously. Your protection isn’t just for yourself, it’s for the people around you and those you love. Wear a mask and wash your hands.
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