By A K Srivastava�
Jamshedpur, Sept. 23: Doctors say that I am out of danger now.�You were one of the rare cases when an elderly 82 plus-year-old patient with chronic ailments like BP, sugar and breathing problem came out as a winner in spite of pneumonia and the Corona attack,� they said.
The 19 days I spent in the ward, CCU and ICU of TMH gave me an opportunity to understand life more closely. What did I do to land myself in such a situation? All my family members including me took every precaution to avoid COVID-19. None of my family members tested positive except me. It is a wildfire disease which is engulfing all and sundry.
Two separate pictures emerged during my treatment at TMH. One was that which was portrayed by the social media mentioning neglect of doctors and hospital administration leading to death of patients. But the other picture which I saw and experienced from inside at TMH was that of the commitment of doctors to save lives at all costs.�The doctors, nursing staff, health and sanitation workers at TMH have been working round the clock to ensure that lives are saved. TMH is the only and the most trusted hospital in Jamshedpur. This is increasing the load on the limited resources available at their disposal. With body bags count increasing, I can understand the grief and devastation of the families of the deceased. But there is also equal dejection on the face of the doctors when they lose a patient, especially when they have been putting extra efforts wearing the cumbersome PPE kits.�There can be instances of neglect and over charging at other private hospitals which I cannot comment on.
I have witnessed death all around me. Some time ago people were alive and kicking and the next moment they were gone. It was an overwhelming experience for me while I was in CCU and ICU. The doctors, nurse, health and sanitation staff took maximum care of all patients. The nursing staff were the backbone in such situations and they are continuing to serve mankind with exemplary dedication. The hygiene inside the hospital is of a very high standard. This I can say with conviction because I was in the ward, ICU as well as CCU.
I request every citizen to follow all precautions issued by the government. In these times of distress believe in your treating doctors. TMH with its limited facilities and overburdened staff is doing excellent work. I extend my wholehearted support to the entire management of TMH and Tata Steel in fighting this pandemic.
(A K Srivastava is chairman of Indo-American Chamber of Commerce, Jamshedpur and Jamshedpur Citizens Forum)
