The lives of healthcare workers and their families have undergone a sea change in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
While many hospital employees have opted to stay in hostels or hotel rooms far away from their families, others who still go back to their home after duty undertake extraordinary sanitisation measures and make sure they never come in physical contact with their loved ones.
Worry is writ large on their faces but the families of doctors that The Hindu spoke to said they are ready to take on any novel challenge and are proud to support their frontline COVID-19 warriors.
The new normal
Kulsaurabh Kaushik, who works in a critical care ward of a private hospital in Delhi, said he constantly worries about going back home to Gurugram and interacting with his parents. “We do what we have to do in any case, but our families, they are the real heroes,” he said, adding: “My parents worry about me and whether I have eaten food.”
“Everything is normal,” said Ishan Tayal (21), who has had to shift from the room he shared with his sister Prerna Tayal since the start of the pandemic. Prerna is a doctor at the ‘COVID-19 suspect’ OBGYN ward at Lady Hardinge Hospital.
“When she comes home, she leaves her bag and other things outside, puts her clothes in an antiseptic bucket, sanitises her phone, and takes a bath. She mostly keeps to her room and takes her meals there as well. Everyone wears a mask,” said Ishan.
“I am very attached to my parents which is why I have not opted for a hostel room... even though we are in the same house we have to speak and play games over the phone,” said Dr. Prerna, coming home after a 24-hour shift on Saturday.
”We are worried about Prerna’s safety of course, but she has to serve the nation,” said her father.
A family of doctors
Ravi Mittal’s son and daughter-in-law are doctors. While one works at the orthopaedics centre at RML Hospital, the other works as a microbiologist. “We are always worried... after all there is no sign of COVID-19,” said Mr. Mittal, referring to the often asymptomatic nature of the virus.
“We tell them to take precautions, bathe and change clothes before touching their [two-year-old] child or interacting with the other family members,” he added.
Challenging times ahead
In the coming week, Sonali Melhotra will start her duty at the COVID ward in Lady Hardinge Hospital for the first time. She was earlier working in the emergency ward and had to isolate herself from the rest of her family whenever she got home.
Her duty at the COVID-19 ward will last for a week during which time she will be staying at a hostel. After Dr. Melhotra’s shift ends, she will have to go into quarantine before returning home.
“My parents are scared. The situation is stressful and a cause for concern but I have no choice... I am just trying to keep calm and not worry,” said Dr. Melhotra.
Her father Sanjeev Melhotra compared his daughter’s work to that of a solider in the Army — like a form of duty, “You can be called up any time and you cannot say no.”
Like her colleagues, Dr. Melhotra mostly keeps to her room while at home and takes her meals there too.
“We talk to her over the phone or just shout through the door,” said Mr. Melhotra.
Before she left for her week-long duty, Mr. Melhotra had some words of encouragement for his daughter: “Have faith in god. Have faith things will be okay.”
