Young deaths sadden us: Covid ward nurses

Naina Mishra

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 12

As the situation gets grimmer by the day, nurses at Covid wards try to keep patients’ morale high by constantly talking to them and giving them assurances that they will make through it.

Pawanjot Kaur (24), a nursing officer at the PGI, said: “While working with patients, we often talk to them about their life and try to establish a connection with them. It breaks my heart to see younger patients dying. I have seen patients in their 20s dying and we could do nothing to save them because of their condition. The situation is frustrating.”

“Often patients ask us about their chances of survival and we find it difficult to answer it. An old woman recently asked me if she will survive. I answered that things will get better but her condition was deteriorating each day. This is taking a toll on my mental health as we are losing so many people. I am worried about my parents after I go home from work. We are trying to cope with each day and hope that things get back to normal soon,” she said.

Sunita, another nursing officer from the PGI, said: “We have to face the relatives of patients every day after duty hours. It gets very difficult to answer their questions. This is the first time that a disease has broken out at this level in my entire service of 28 years.” At home, Sunita stays in different room and tries to distance herself from children.

Justeena (57), a nursing officer from Government Multi-Speciality Hospital (GMSH), Sector 16, said: “We are trying our best to save the patients but it is sad to see young patients losing their lives. We feel helpless. Every minute we are following on patients’ reports from laboratories. This is the best we can do at our end.”

Deputy Medical Superintendent Paramjit Singh of the GMSH said: “The nursing fraternity has been leading from the front in the fight against Covid with devotion and dedication towards providing care to sick patients.”

Prof Jagat Ram, Director, PGI, said: “The nurses are empathetic while providing care to the patients. During this challenging period of Covid-19, many of them have lost their lives. We should acknowledge and appreciate their contribution towards healthcare.”

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