With five frontline workers in Madurai’s Government Rajaji Hospital (GRH) testing positive for COVID-19, three post-graduates (PGs) who have worked in the speciality hospital recount their experience.
Between 80 and 90 postgraduates have been deployed as the GRH has around 10 postgraduate students for each batch. PGs say though it has been manageable till date, a sharp spike would require at least three times the strength that has been deployed till date.
The three PGs have worked inside the isolation ward, conducted swab tests and been in-charge of the Out-Patient (OP) ward. In their varied roles, they speak about wearing personal protection equipment (PPE), attending to patients, being in quarantine and keeping away from family.
An orthopaedics student, A. Nirmal* says that when he was first told about his six hours of duty, he thought it could be handled easily. “In the past, we have had to perform 48-hour duty. We never imagined the amount of discomfort the PPE would cause,” he says. “When I wear my PPE, I need to ensure that I wear it securely and have to sit down for 15 minutes to adjust to the change. Otherwise, there is a chance that I would suffocate and faint,” says A. Nirmal, a postgraduate student who has worked inside the isolation ward. The PPE makes you feel like being in a humid plastic bag. One keeps sweating excessively through the shift leading to breathlessness and dehydration. As isolation wards are not air-conditioned, the humidity adds to their woes. The hood regularly fogs distorting vision and wearing gloves make it difficult to write notes and prepare case sheets. PPEs cannot be removed as it would expose them to the virus. Between rounds, they take a break of 15 minutes to ensure that they can power through the shift.
S. Saranya* says the process of wearing the PPE is referred to as donning and removal is called docking. “We’ve been taught how to do it properly but in case it slips, it is possible that we could be affected.”
N. Vimal, a PG student who has taken several hundred swab and blood tests, says three PGs in his batch fainted because they could not handle the PPE. “In order to resuscitate someone, we need to remove the PPE fully. It is tricky in the beginning but we must get used to it,” he says.
Dr. Saranya says that patients are sometimes non-cooperative. “A patient insisted that only doctors must feed them and assist them in going to bathroom. While we are overwhelmed doing our duty, it is difficult to go beyond and help them in doing these tasks.”
“When we hear complaints at a time we are trying our best, we feel bogged down,” Dr. Vimal says. All three doctors say that among the most difficult task was keeping away from family.
Dr. Vimal says that he saw his family two months ago. The only thing that keeps me going is ensuring that I speak to my family after I finish my shift. When we undertake the 14-day quarantine after completing a week’s duty, I ensure that I keep myself calm,” he says.
As the mother of a young child, Dr. Saranya says that her heart races when she video calls her family. “Sometimes I wonder if I can ignore protocol and go back home just to see my family but I cannot risk infecting them. We try to keep ourselves occupied and some of us play word building games to keep ourselves engaged,” she says. Dr. Vimal says that it is important to keep the family informed about their duty. “It is important to remember that they are our pillar of support,” he says. They add that food and accommodation being provided have been excellent and a boost for their mental health too.
GRH Dean J. Sangumani says that they are taking all steps to combat infection spread among doctors, nurses, paramedics and workers. All frontline workers are provided with separate accommodation - a single room with an attached bathroom and toiletries. “We encourage them to share their problem in case of distress. We are doing as much as we can,” he says.
