One full calendar year health care workers sailed through the Covid storm facing all the crests and troughs with no complaints .No body expressed , but some were pregnant , some had infants at home others had ailing family members and yet others had elderly vulnerable parents .
Almost everyone else had the option to work from home . Like all others, health care workers also faced the shortage of food supplies and financial crunch . But some lucky people made dalgona coffee and baked cookies .
But what did the health worker face a little more ? There’s no question for the extra hours of sweat or toil . That’s for sure to the society we owe . But the concern is the mental agony .The constant fear of being a covid bomb to the family . The advice was to protect the paediatric and geriatric from the risk of covid exposure. But when there was constant risk of hospital ( red zone) shunting family member at home !!!! Has anyone wondered how people addressed that mammoth issue in the house . Some had to switch homes or hire new places . But nobody raised a voice .
The covid curve peaked through the days and seasons .The Almighty with everyones efforts got it flattened and scientists brought vaccines . The covid prevention protocol was never recommended to be put off guard .
But alas !! for just a handful of happy go lucky people . We forgot our restrictions . Just as Sita crossed the Laxman Rekha on being lured by Ravana . Our people got Off board with festivities .
But now , What are we headed for ?
We can see the sharp uprise in the immediate future . The economy will once again dip. People will go back home .Things will shut down .But what will happen to the tired , mentally depressed ,physically sick health care workers ? They were now trying to heal . Some of them needed medication and others not but the time to heal was still unfolding .
The thought of red zone duties once again with all the anxiety and pain.A wandering question , Could all this be avoided if people played safe?
Simple norms of hand hygiene , social distancing and Mask.
Sometimes a stitch in time can surely save a mighty nine .
We are still not inside the deep sea . Lets all try to be sensible and save mankind . Let our children live a normal life . I am sure the effect of this pandemic will be far reaching .
I pray that in a few decades from now hopefully the next generation will not blame the shadows of this biological war just like we still see the new generations continue to suffer from the nuclear bombing in Japan during the last century .
Dr Madhumita Priyadarshini Das
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