Covid survivor RPF staff guards others against it

MUMBAI: Anand Kumar Jaiswar, a 38-year-old Railway Protection Force (RPF) jawan is a Covid-19 survivor who now educates railway passengers and railway employees to maintain hygiene and wash their hands regularly to fight the coronavirus.

Jaiswar, who is posted at Central Railway’s (CR) Wadibunder railway yard in Mazagaon as a head constable, tested positive for the virus in May while working on the operation of passenger and parcel train movements.

On May 4, he developed a fever and mild cold. He was directed to the railway’s designated Covid hospital, Jagjivan Ram Hospital in Mumbai Central after his swab test results came back positive.

After 10 days at the hospital, he was asked to home quarantine for a week. “I was initially nervous and scared as to how, despite taking all the precautions, I got infected. My senior officers and the doctors motivated and helped me to stay positive and calm,” said Jaiswar.

He resumed work immediately after getting a fitness certificate from the doctors. “Work of RPF is very crucial in the operation of trains, and particularly during the coronavirus pandemic. I wanted to resume work immediately as I felt fit but waited for the doctor’s approval,” he said.

Jaiswar now asks passengers to regularly wash and sanitise their hands on the railway stations. “I tell passengers about my experience and how I overcame it. I tell them to eat healthy and regularly wash and sanitise their hands. One can fight the virus if one has strong willpower,” said Jaiswar.