Gutsy medical team wages a corona battle amid loneliness

PRAYAGRAJ: Away from family and home, a 25-member team of dedicated doctors, nurses, paramedical staff and lab technicians (dubbed ‘Team-A’) is busy caring for nine COVID-19 positive patients of Pratapgarh (6), Kaushambi (2) and Prayagraj (1) undergoing treatment at the community health centreturned-Covid -19 level-1 hospital at Kotwa, around 35 km from the heart of the city.

Apart from the hectic shifts followed by loneliness in their accommodation, the team members would also undergo a 28-day ‘exile’, comprising 14-day mandatory active quarantine at the hospital during their duty tenure and another 14-day passive quarantine in a hotel before they return home, inform district health officials.

At the end of their 14-day active quarantine, they would be replaced by another team of 25 doctors and paramedics (‘Team-B’) and later it would also also undergo the same process.

“Our team of 25 professionals is taking care of the patients day and night. Besides medicines, breakfast and meals are also being provided to them with adequate precautions,” said Dr VK Mishra, nodal officer of Kotwa Hospital.

The team comprises six doctors, six staff nurses, six safaikarmis, two pharmacists and two lab technicians as well as three ward boys. “The pharmacists and lab technicians have a 12 -hour shift while the remaining staff is on an 8-hour shift,” he said.

The entire medical team has to adhere to strict quarantine norms. After work at this 30-bed hospital, they do not return home. Instead, they stay in a temporary accommodation made available by the administration.

“For the entire staff, barring the nurses, a guest house at ‘Habusa Mode’ has been acquired and reserved. The nurses are staying at another establishment 400 metres from the hospital. Each member of the team has been given a separate room where they have their meals. There is also a hall where they can have their food but here too proper social distancing is ensured,” explained Dr Mishra, adding that no socializing was allowed to limit chances of the virus spreading.

The nurses said they were well aware of the danger and battled inner fear to perform their duty. “However, we know that our work is valuable in the battle against the virus. The morale of nurses as well as the entire medical team is high,” said Anita Singh, a staff nurse working here as part of the first team.

“Once our schedule of 14 days is over, we will have undergo a 14-day passive quarantine at a hostel acquired at Andawa crossing. During this period also we will not meet or interact with anyone. Once this period gets completed, we will all be tested and if our results are negative, we will be able to return to our families,” said another nurse.

Officials said that once Team-A and team-B completed their duty cycles, Team-C would take charge at the hospital.