Corona Warriors
It is said, that God cannot be everywhere. So, he sent doctors with excellence and selflessness. It is so true, isn’t it? In the lockdown period, I saw a few videos in which doctors were harassed and blamed wrongly. I was very upset after seeing that. Nurses were being evicted by their landlords just because they come in contact with the coronavirus every day.
I would like to share my experience with you all that deeply moved me.
On Wednesday night, I started feeling some amount of pain in my right ear. It was quite bearable at that time. But slowly and gradually, it started increasing. I was not able to hear clearly. Even while swallowing food, my ear reminded me that the Eustachian tube connects our throat to the ear. I spent a sleepless night just to wake up and discover that my ear was blocked further. The entire right side of my face had started paining. That is when I gradually experienced the ‘tight slap’ that my teacher used to talk about when some mischief was done in our class.
That night was unbearable. So, I called my usual ENT specialist. I tried calling him for the next couple of hours but my call wasn’t received. The next morning, I literally woke up crying and I was still trying to call my doctor but to no avail. My parents tried calling other doctors in Pune but many of them weren’t available due to the pandemic situation. Finally, we found one doctor and immediately went to his OPD. He said that the problem that I was facing was due to the collection of water inside my ear which led to some infection. He said, “take these two pills for the next few days. Do not wash your hair for the next week and avoid the contact of water with your ear.” I had to intake two painkillers per day just to mitigate the pain! I had washed my hair almost a week ago before I visited the doctor and now, I am not allowed to wash my hair for another week. I feel that my next doctor visit would be for a hair specialist and I guess that is where I will get my next write-up idea!
Anyone can get an ear infection, it is absolutely common, but children get them more often than adults. In adults, there are many cases where ear infections occur due to the use of earbuds and earphones. This is a very painful infection and can lead to serious problems. I know that we cannot totally eliminate the use of earphones. But I urge all of you to at least try to reduce the use of earphones and earbuds.
The other day, I wanted my usual doctor to treat me urgently but unfortunately, he bailed on me. Every person has the right to good healthcare. In such desperate times, it is not very advisable to go to bigger hospitals because the COVID patients are being treated there. This is my message to all such doctors. “Please receive our calls and messages. Don’t break up with us like that ……your patients need you.”
There are some medical issues that need immediate treatment. Dentists, ENT specialists, ophthalmologists, etc are the doctors that I am talking about right now. I feel that we should appreciate all the doctors that are working in this situation for us.
In some societies, I have seen that these doctors have been treated inappropriately. They are treated differently just because they are very prone to catch coronavirus during their practice. Some people feel that they are taking this privilege just to earn more money. Doctors are not provided with domestic help for cleaning their house, washing utensils, and so on like the other society members. I read one news article today which said that the relatives of the COVID patients were abusing the doctors because they feel that they are the reason why they lost their beloved. We need to change the mentality of such people.
So here are a few things that we can do to help doctors. Firstly, we can appreciate all the work that they have been doing. Secondly, try to avoid contact with the virus as far as possible. If you happen to be around any of such doctors, try to help them by doing some daily chores for them. It could be making dinner for them.
Doctors are the ones who actually need this facility and they deserve it. The least we can do is respect the doctors who are risking their lives and serving society. I would like to conclude by thanking all the doctors who are working relentlessly and serving our country!