Love my job more now: Nursing student who beat Nipah
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Nursing student M Ajanya was unconscious for almost a week, having contracted the Nipah virus when she was posted at the Kozhikode medical college hospital’s casualty ward for seven days from April 30 as part her training.
She regained consciousness on the sixth day. The 19-year-old survived the deadly virus that had triggered panic in Kerala.
Among the 19 infected with Nipah, 17 died in north Kerala and Ajanya is the first to come out of the hospital on Monday. Another survivor, male nurse Ubeesh, will be discharged after two days.
When the duty doctor came to see Ajanya after she came about, she asked him why she was bedridden and weak. “The doctor smiled at me and said I was infected with a rare virus called Nipah and they removed it from my body successfully,” she said.
The daughter of a farm labourer who is a second-year student at the Government Nursing College in Kozhikode wasn’t aware of Nipah’s devastating effects.
Ajanya fell sick after contracting the virus at the Kozhikode medical college hospital, where she was training. She was admitted to Kozhikode medical college hospital on May 18.
“When I was slowly regaining my conscious I could see doctors and nurses were toiling to save my life. Now I can recall their efforts. My love towards my profession has increased manifold,” she said.
“I love my profession more. I would like to devote my life nursing back many lives,” she said. But she will have to wait to wear her nurses’ uniform again as doctors have advised her rest for two weeks.
She is excited to return to her college. “Passed a test of life, now my first priority is to complete my nursing course,” she said.
The young woman is also thrilled about the attention she has drawn by being the first Nipah survivor.
“I was really stunned when state health minister KK Shailaj visited me on Sunday. She was sympathetic and pledged all support,” she said.
According to district medical officer Dr V Jayasree, the nursing student can lead a normal life now.
“We have done many tests on her and all are negative. Bringing her back to life was a real challenge and full credit goes to the medical fraternity who toiled day and night,” Jayasree said.