Defeating Covid-19 with willpower
Jo dawaai dene vala hai, theek karne vala hai, voh paramatma hai. Janm aur maran uske haath mein hai, insaan ke haath mein nahi,” says Vishnu Bhagwan Chopra, an 86-year-old Delhi resident who not only defeated Covid-19 but is also inspiring others with his sheer willpower.
Towards the end of April, Chopra experienced breathing complications and got tested for Covid-19. After testing positive, he got admitted to RML hospital.
The disease came as a shock to him. “Main hairan ho gaya kyunki main baahar gaya hi nahi tha. I was admitted in the ICU and it was clean. They gave me nutritious meals and the quantity was more than enough,” he says.
But despite treatment, he continued testing positive and was shifted to MD City (Maha Durga Charitable Trust) Hospital, which was by then a dedicated Covid-19 facility. “I was put in an isolation ward and was very well taken care of. I don’t have any complaints,” says the octogenarian.
After a month-long battle, he tested negative on May 24 and is now recovering well at home. “I believe in chanting Lord’s name. Prabhu ka naam bahut bada hai. It is he who gives willpower. My children and family give me strength. They help me move my muscles, give me medicines and keep telling me to eat,” he shares.
MD City hospital’s radiologist Dr Nikhil Makhija, who was among the team that treated Chopra, is all praise for his willpower. “Covid-19 is a new disease. so a state of panic is bound to happen. The most important facet is patient’s willpower. It is important to put the patient at ease. If the patient is calm, 50% of the battle is won. In his case, despite advanced age, he was very cooperative. That helped in his recovery. The efficacy of medicine rises if the patient has the will.”
When Chopra was discharged, the staff gave him a cheerful farewell. “One thing that often gets sidelined is the staff. They get into this knowing well that they are exposing themselves to the virus. It is important to boost their morale,” says Dr Makhija.