As a doctor, it is a part of your job to see life-ticking situations. Being a surgeon for over 10 years now, I have witnessed a surfeit of emotions. While there have been moments of despair and aversion, I’ve been privileged to witness some of the brightest smiles as well.
Some of the patients that I operated on 5 years ago, 8 years ago are still in contact. Let it be festivals or the festivities in their life, they never fail to wish/include me. And despite all the wrath, knowing that a handful of people out there are grateful, is what has kept me going.
But, with the sudden rise in the cases, the restive responses from the patients and citizens are more than ever. As a frontline worker, I don’t fear getting covid – I may quarantine myself in my house, and if I’m lucky enough I may even get a bed in the hospital.
But the growing angst in people is what fears me. There have been instances where people have broken into the hospitals and attacked the doctors in the name of politics. Some of them have even damaged the wards.
Trust me – as doctors on duty even we have a limit to which we can watch our patients suffering. My phone hasn’t stopped ringing in the past 1 month, and it shatters me to know that I’m not able to treat all the patients. I know it is a hard time for all of us but all we doctors need right now is utmost support.
And while you stay home, sanitize, and wear your masks don’t forget to take care of your mental health as well. Staying happy has become a struggle at the moment but it is the need of the hour. Try avoiding the news as much as you can – everything you need to know about the pandemic is already out there.
And most importantly don’t forward information or messages without proper confirmation thinking that it might be helpful to someone else. False affirmations during a crisis are the last thing anybody would want. “
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Storiyaan features Dr. Vishal Tomar – @openconsult . He runs a youtube channel called open consult for patient awareness and can be reached at openconsultonline@gmail.com