Dr. Debanjali Das recounts her experience as a frontline COVID-19 warrior

May 7: The outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic has become a major challenge for the nations. But thanks to the health professionals, who have dedicated their services for the treatment of COVID-19 patients. As per protocol, the team of health professionals involved in the treatment of corona patients needs to go for compulsory quarantine for a period of 14 days after doing duty for 7 days in COVID-19 ward. As such, those involved in the treatment of corona patients at Silchar Medical College & Hospital (SMCH) from 13 to 19 April were put under quarantine for 2 weeks. On Wednesday, 12 doctors quarantined at Hotel Sagarika Regency were discharged along with 18 other health workers. Dr. Debanjali Das, who too was discharged from quarantine on 6 May, narrates her first hand experience of facing the pandemic for the readers of way2barak….

This is for the first time I have experienced a pandemic. As a postgraduate student in the department of medicine  at Silchar Medical college & Hospital (SMCH), I was doing my routine duties as still then, there were no coronavirus positive cases in Assam. However, when there was a spike in the number of positive cases in India, Assam government launched its precautionary steps in containing the pandemic. Initially, as per the blueprint, the entire planning was made, which started with formation of rapid response team for each day and we all started to abide by it accordingly.

The first step was screening of the symptomatic patients. On the basis of the screening, those who required further care or observation were admitted in COVID-19 isolation ward. However, with the detection of the 1st COVID-19 patient at SMCH on 31 March, there was a change in the entire scenario. This being the 1st postive case in Assam, all eyes were set upon the health professionals trained and earmarked for this special purpose of treating COVID-19 patient.

Very soon, the state government started preparing itself to tackle more positive cases, and and a result along with some other medical colleges and hospitals of the state, SMCH was also converted into a designated COVID-19 hospital. Immediately, different wards were vacated. The whole planning was changed. Other patients were shifted to S.M. Dev Civil Hospital and some private hospitals. SMCH became a fort. The wards which were vacated at SMCH were now converted into covid screening area, covid suspect ward and covid positive ward.

We were put in different groups and each group had a team leader. It felt like some other regular duty roster at the outset. But slowly things started to get real and the sceneraio had changed, the chaotic casualty, the busy wards were suddenly silenced. Meanwhile, we were being trained how to don and doff the PPE; proper protocol , plans were made under the guidance of our team leader. Moreover administration, faculties from different departments took part actively and conducted different training programme for doctors, nurses, grade four staff.

It was a daunting task donning that PPE for 8 long hours. Pride, selflessness slowly fading into exhaustion, helplessness. In that isolation duty room, things were different. As I was posted in positive ward for the span of 7 days (shift of 8 hours), I was drenched, exhausted wearing the protective gear but had to continue the duty inspite of all hurdles. During duty hours, I had to take care of some necessary things like proper mopping time and again, hand sanitisation every time we attend the patient, surface cleaning, proper disposal of all covid related stuff. All kinds of thoughts ran through my mind, right from ‘which series to watch next’ to ‘what if I test positive’ to ‘when can I go home’.

The seven days that we (me and my team) spent there, being socially distant from others, we developed a bond among the team members, as if we have never interacted like this before. Like the way people would come to know their co-passengers in a long train journey, we also mingled in this journey of ours. The quarantine that followed felt like a safe-return from a combat in a war-front. 14 days went fast, very fast. I will look at certain things differently now, may be, it was a scope for introspection. Importance of small things in life, importance of people in life- these can’t be denied. A statement that we read in school felt very appropriate in these times, “Man is a social animal ”

Thanks to our team leader and administrators for their guidance, our team members, nurses, grade four staff for their hard work. And of course the government for addressing all our needs and proper planning to combat this pandemic. Life goes on….