A Covid survivor, Karnal doc keen on rejoining duty

She and a nurse tested positive after treating district’s first case

BQ: If a doctor remains in the house then who will treat patients in the time of crisis. After the 14-day home quarantine period is over, I will resume my duty to fight against Covid,” Dr Anjali

Parveen Arora

Tribune News Service

Karnal, April 13

Discharged from Kalpana Chawla Government Medical College after six days, ENT specialist Dr Anjali is in high spirits and wants to rejoin the fight against Covid.

She along with a staff nurse of KCGMC tested positive on April 6 and they both were discharged on Sunday evening after their two consecutive reports came negative.

“If a doctor remains in the house then who will treat patients in the time of crisis. After the 14-day home quarantine period is over, I will resume my duty to fight against Covid,” said Dr Anjali while talking to The Tribune.

Both Dr Anjali and the nurse, Poonam, did not show any symptoms after they came into contact with the first Covid positive case of the district. Poonam had attended him when he came to the emergency ward last month while Dr Anjali had taken his sample.

Since both of them have small children, it wasn’t easy being in isolation, they said. “My husband and my two-and-a-half-year-old daughter were isolated in a room next to mine, but I could not meet them. I remained tense till my reports came negative,” said Dr Anjali.

The staff nurse too said she wasn’t able to meet her one-and-a-half-year-old son and six-year-old daughter, who were isolated in a room next to hers. They remained in contact through video calls. “I kept my spirits high and never lost hope,” said Poonam.

Both gave credit for their early recovery to their colleagues who kept them in a positive frame of mind. “We are thankful to the doctors, paramedical staff, sanitation workers and other staff members for boosting the morale of patients at the hospital,” the two said.

The third patient to be discharged from the hospital also showed no symptoms, but had a travel history to Sharjah. “I tested positive on April 6. I did not lose hope as I had no symptoms,” said the 32-year-old from Birchpur village. “I spent my time listening to devotional songs in the isolation ward,” he added.

Dr Jagdish Dureja, Director, KCGMC, said it was heartening for them that three of their five Covid patients had recovered and been discharged.