When people ran for cover, they stayed put. Even after four persons, including nurse Lini, lost their battle with the Nipah virus in the Institute of Chest Diseases (ICD) at the Kozhikode government medical college, there was no let-up in the care they provided.
Nurses M. Monitha and P. Ranjini term their mental struggle during the initial days of the outbreak “beyond narration.” The only ray of hope in the last 20 days was the bouncing back of a nursing student they cared for at the ICU.
“While attending to Lini and Janaki, another victim, at the ICU, there was no time to even think of the risks,” said Monitha who left her two-and-a-half-year-old child with her mother-in-law at home. The department had given protective vests and instructions in advance, she told The Hindu on phone.
Monitha took care of the Nipah-infected for 10 consecutive night shifts. She was supported by her family, including her husband Anoop, a trainer at the Police Academy in Thrissur.
“Lini’s death haunted us. Lini and Janaki died within a short time and the bodies were kept at the ICU for hours as they could not be shifted to the mortuary,” she recalled. The responsibilities at the ICU were mostly entrusted with a six-member nursing team including Ranjini, S. Abhilash, Sunitha John, Shan K. Paul, and P.V. Shabna, who worked in shifts, she said.
Relatives’ plight
Ranjini was most moved by the plight of the victims’ relatives.
“They could not even see the faces of their loved ones. Because of precautionary measures the bodies were covered ahead of their isolated cremation. Many relatives were heartbroken. I almost felt like quitting the job,” she said.
Ranjini visited her family at Palakkad only once during the span, that too after ensuring that she was not infected by the virus. She too got the support of her parents and siblings to do her job well.
Co-workers’ support
Both lauded the efforts and support of their supervisors, doctors and co-workers. “Wearing the protective gear was suffocating, resulting in headache and vomiting sensation. But we learned to cope with it,” they said.
T.P. Rajagopal, head of the department and professor at the ICD, attributed the flawless caring of the Nipah-infected to team work to which all the medical college staff contributed. “We have taken utmost safety precautions for our staff,” he told The Hindu.