“Though the covid fatality rates have fortunately started dropping in many parts of the country, one can’t forget the wrath of the second wave, especially as a frontline worker.

Being a doctor at AIIMS, I was no different in my initial reaction to the Coronavirus outbreak. I mean, the world had already witnessed everything from Bird flu, Zika Virus to even the recent Ebola virus pandemic a few years ago; so a lot of us were similarly expecting COVID19 too, to last only for a short phase.

But god, were we wrong! The magnitude of this virus was quick enough to topple medical systems all around the globe, claiming millions of lives in the process. And this is despite the healthcare industry putting up its best fight yet. I mean, doctors were working day and night, tirelessly, attending multiple patients throughout since 2020.

Now that again is just the tip of the iceberg that the general public knows of. In an ideal 6 hour shift, a solid 45 minutes go towards just changing in and out of our PPEs. There are multiple layers of clothing running beneath these plastic kits, making us wearers sweat bullets throughout. In short, being out of our PPEs suddenly became a luxury.

Next were the patients themselves. With every admitted person carrying a varied set of symptoms, history of diseases, and immunity levels, it was anything but easy to administer each one, forecasting every possibility and attending to them with care and empathy. And this was just us professionals with MBBS degrees, not the industry as a whole! It’s only when we peek outside at the state of other frontline workers, do we even realize the intensity of the problem.

Ambulance drivers, autopsy technicians, mortuary workers are amongst a few going through plights worse than anyone could imagine. What drives them besides the need to feed their families is a collective responsibility to stand up together for our country to get back into shape. And considering all their sacrifices and the dedication that has gone into restoring normalcy, it’s only fair that society lends a sympathetic hand and starts taking safety measures more seriously. In today’s scenario, prevention definitely is better than any cure!”