This lab technician at CHC feels he is on national duty
LUCKNOW: For the past several weeks, lab technician Ritesh Raj Mishra has been collecting samples of Covid -19 patients and suspects from containment areas of the state capital. He knows it is risky and that he may also catch the infection, but has no regrets. He feels it is a part of his duty emerging out of an extraordinary situation.
A laboratory technician at the Urban Community Health Centre in Baloo Adda here, Ritesh said it was a kind of national duty. In between there was no scheduled time to have food or water. “There is no fixed time for lunch and dinner. I take lunch as late as 4 pm and dinner well past midnight,” he said.
On April 13, 2020, Ritesh and his team had to go to Kasaibada, Sadar, where they had collected samples of 117 people. “We started our work at 4pm and continued till 10.30 pm. Precautions had to be taken so that no one in the team got infected, he said.
“We take lunch and dinner in an awkward time. I usually return after 12 midnight after finishing the day’s work. So dinner time is well past 12 midnight. Lunch also gets delayed,” he said.
“When the administration, police, doctors and paramedical staff are working 24x7, you don’t feel hungry or thirsty amid such work pressure,” he said.
Ritesh said he and his team works tirelessly, without any fear, day and night. “I draw a lot of inspiration from my team members and seniors and I am confident that we will be able to defeat Covid-19,” he said.
“Risk factor is there. But we have to take a lot of precautions to ensure that we don’t get infected,” said this 28-year-old.
Talking about his routine, he said, “The in charge of the CMO control room prepares a list of patients whose samples have to be collected. Accordingly, I ensure that we have personal protective equipment kit, N95 masks, gloves, sanitizer, tape, marker, bio waste polybag, swab kit, etc. Collecting samples over the past few weeks has become very hectic because the number of Covid-19 cases has increased.”
Given his hectic work schedule, celebrations are definitely off.
April 25 happened to be his wife’s birthday, but he could not even offer her a gift. “Presently she is with her parents as I’m staying in active quarantine centre in a hotel at Vibhuti Khand with other lab technicians on duty. I went to her parents’ doorstep and just wished her. I could not even offer a gift and left within 5 minutes,” Ritesh said.