‘WE FEEL QUITE VULNERABLE’

Swati (name changed upon request), a nurse on Covid-19 duty at Maulana Azad Medical College, Delhi, says, “There’s no provision to give us counselling as yet. All peers are being there for each other and pitching in if one feels low or is unable to handle their duties. Conditions at the hospitals are very bad. Our mindset is to just give our best, but some staff members need urgent counselling. If that’s arranged, there would be some positivity among us.” Teerathnath, a nurse working in an East Delhi nursing home, reveals how most nurses are doing 12-hour duty. While vaccination has been done for the entire staff, mentally, everyone is feeling vulnerable. “We’re worried about the patients and our families. Hum chah ke bhi patients ko bacha nahi pa rahe. Bahut dukh hota hai. Many nurses are severely dehydrated because once in the Covid ward, we can’t take off the PPE kit or masks. Many are facing depression and anxiety. Even food intake is hampered. Small hospitals have no counselling arrangements, so nothing is being done to take care of us mentally,” she shares.