Ward boy in isolation tells kin that he is on duty

Ludhiana: A day after a 31-year-old man, who is working as ward boy at Dayanand Medical College and Hospital (DMCH), had tested positive, he did not inform about his disease to his family and told them that he was still working in the hospital. It was on May 4 that he joined his duty after spending 14 days in isolation at home from April 20 as per the hospital protocol. He had been attending all patients at the isolation centre of the hospital since then.
He was serving as ward boy since 2008 when he was a 19-year-old and now its been 12 years since he had been associated with the DMCH. He is living with his wife and two sons, aged 5 plus and 2 plus, at Street No 2, Haqikat Nagar, Haibowal Kalan. Ever since Covid-19 pandemic , he used to stay in the isolation ward of the hospital.
Narrating his schedule, he said, “Covid-29 is just like swine flu, but it is highly contagious. However, I have taken all precautions while performing duty. After duty hours, I used to video call my family and talk to them as I used to stay back in hospital. Whenever my family asked me about when I was coming back home, I kept on convincing my sons by telling them that I will come tomorrow or a day after. I have not even shared the news that I have tested positive, to avoid them getting de-motivated.”
“Now, I am avoiding video calls as I am on my isolation bed with the oxygen panel and a monitor in the background. If I will video call them, they will get to know about it, so I am dodging their calls and praying to God for early recovery,” he said.
Talking to TOI, the 31-year-old said,”‘I have been serving in the isolation ward of the hospital since March and was sent for home quarantine from April 20. It was after 15 days that I joined back on May 4. I was the first one to receive a 65-year-old male patient from Jammu, who was admitted in the hospital on May 4 and took him to the emergency of the isolation centre, where he tested positive later.”
“He died on May 9 and for all those days I was serving in isolation ward and was staying in the isolation ward. It was on May 9 that I had cough, cold and fever and tested myself on May 10 in the virology lab of the DMCH and tested positive in evening,” he added.