Rashmi's blogs: A real-life story of Comorbid health professional(s) during Covid 19

A real-life story of Comorbid health professional(s) during Covid 19

It is easy to give statements or announce charity. But let’s learn and look in to real life stories of health professionals. These stories not capturing any media headlines. So here I like to share with you the story I have been part of as it is the story of my close friend working in Government Medical College in Mumbai. On May 4, Dr TP Lahane, Director of Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER), through a notification, asked health professionals to mandatorily serve at hospitals treating COVID-19 patients for at least 15 days or face action. Doctors have been advised to convey their willingness and place of choice where they would like to work with Dr Milind Kamble, protocol and liaison officer at the Mumbai Municipal Commissioner’s Office. Doctors above the age of 55 years and those with co-morbidities like diabetes, hypertension, other heart ailments have been exempted from this duty.

Doctors had to fill a form stating their eligibility, Maharashtra Medical Council registration number, their current posting and the preferred place to serve COVID-19 patients and mail it to BMC.

My friend, a Professor in Government Medical College (run by BMC) teaches Anatomy. As a compulsory notice, he also completed the form. He declared his health status as hypertensive, a comorbid condition. Being a comorbid, my friend feels that he is unable to go to COVID ward for duty with his colleagues. But he takes it in a positive way and took responsibilities of his colleagues working with Covid ward. He does other departmental duties e.g; online classes, group teaching, checking assignment etc, which was assigned to his junior colleagues.

The hospital is a hybrid hospital, where covid and non-covid patients visit. The hospital is always in news for good and bad news. These days, it is shown in one or other news channel. It is one of the oldest civic hospital which was constructed during British rule in 1920. Going on duty to a hybrid hospital ( COVID, non COVID ward) is as it is very risky for comorbid people.
Health professional says , “Covid is so much visible, highlighted in media by each and every news channel and Govt has taken so many steps for protection’’ . Now we need to take precautions e.g; wearing masks and follow physical distancing etc. But Mumbai was always on high risks, health of its population such as drug resistance tuberculosis and other diseases . People travel in a crowded local train without knowing health conditions of other passengers.

During his daily journey to the hospital , my friend has to get down at Shivari station where lot of people get down to visit Shivari TB hospital ., ‌He says, “ If you are frightened of any disease, It makes even more difficult for health professionals”. He cited an example that when thermal screening started at the airports as per GOI guidelines in March, it created a scare in the minds of passengers. Many carried paracetamol with them and had within flights to avoid getting caught in the thermal temperature screening. This way , normal people and others with symptoms got mixed and might have spread the virus in general public.
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We should highlight the case of staff of Zee news where an employee was not feeling well and went for testing and was found Covid positive and then they tested all employees out of which 28 employees were positive. This type of honesty is needed in all of us.

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