THIS AMRITSAR DOC HAS OVERSEEN CREMATION OF OVER 300 COVID VICTIMS

Dr Jaspinder Pratap Singh, 30

Junior resident at Government Medical College and Hospital, Amritsar

AMRITSAR: A junior resident of forensic medicine and toxicology, Dr Jaspinder Pratap Singh, 30, is tasked with ensuring proper management of the bodies of Covid-19 victims at Government Medical College and Hospital, Amritsar.

“Since March 2020, I have handled over 300 dead bodies. Every phone call from senior doctors means the same challenge for me — wear the PPE kit once again, sanitise my body, manage yet another dead body and the most heartbreaking task of handing it over to the family members. Sometimes, I have to rush to the emergency even in the middle of the night,” he says, adding that the pandemic has completely changed his lifestyle and mindset.

He also has another challenge at hand — counsel the critical patients before shifting them to ventilators. “Only a few patients have recovered after spending days on ventilator. However, I have to make them understand that they can still make it. On the other hand, I have to tell their family members not to have high hopes of their survival.”

At present, Dr Jaspinder is in 14-day isolation as he, too, tested positive. He has been living in his hostel room alone, away from his family in Gurdaspur, which he hasn’t visited for six months. “I will soon rejoin my duty. I hope all people follow Covid protocol, so that we can together beat this virus,” he says.