Working long shifts, healthcare personnel battle hunger, thirst and fatigue

Kishan Singh Bhorde | Apr 7, 2020, 04:30 IST

Hubballi: Those who venture out by disobeying lockdown orders should understand the risk that doctors and healthcare professionals who are treating Covid-19 patients are taking. Donning personal protection equipment(PPE) in high temperatures, doctors sweat it out in isolation wards, not caring for hunger and thirst, and controlling nature’s call, in working 6-hour shifts at a stretch.
Once they wear the PPE, they will not remove it until their shift gets over. One of the reasons for doing so is that there are limited numbers of the same, and once it is removed, one has to wear a new one. Without air conditioning, wearing a two-layered PPE on top of ones clothes, and putting on an apron, is not an easy task to perform. It is not at all easy to work wearing safety footwear without laces, with disposable slippers, gloves taped to the wrists, and a helmet-like hood.
A doctor who treats Covid-19 patients said, “It is a highly contagious disease, we know that PPEs are safe, but we are maintaining social distancing with our family members at home, after performing our duties in the hospital. It is been weeks since I have mingled with my children. We have to be very careful and take all the necessary precautions. Social distancing is very important in keeping infection at bay,” he said.
He said, “We prepare mentally to work a 6-hour shift in such challenging conditions. We use sign language to communicate with other doctors and staff, as we get completely covered under the PPE,” he said.
Another doctor who works in the ENT department said that throat swabs play an important role in detecting infection, and hence the role of ENT doctors is important. “We take 5 minutes to take the swab. We have to be very careful while collecting it, as it is a very contagious disease,” he said.
One of the doctors who treats patients at the isolation ward said that he is living in a separate room in his house from the last one week. “This is an extra precaution I am taking. We have to be careful. Though we use safety equipment, our seniors have advised us to additional precautions. When we come out of the isolation ward, we first immerse our clothes in hypochlorite solution, and shower after reaching home,” he said.
“Covid-19 is a new disease. Most doctors are not used to working under such conditions. Since we opted for this noble profession, we are doing our duty with utmost passion and zeal. Many doctors have opted to remain in hostel rooms, who are on regular duty in the isolation wing,” he said.
KIMS is giving continuous training to doctors, staff and paramedical staff on handling Covid-19 patients. They are preparing more staff if in case more Covid-19 patients are admitted to the hospital.
Doctors said that they feel bad when they see people roaming on the roads by disobeying lockdown orders. “Peope should remain indoors taking into consideration the sacrifices made by doctors and healthcare workers, which is no less than an Army man fighting at the border,” said doctors. They requested the people to follow the direction of the government to break the chain of infection.
aption: KIMS doctors enter the Covid ward wearing the PPE.