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The health authorities are primarily using few antiviral medicines that are shown to have helped COVID-19 patients to recover. However, the lack of stock in the market is causing panic among civilians. The growing speed of transmission has escalated the risks for healthcare workers. “While at home, I stay away from kids without making them realize, so they don’t get upset,” said Dr Qureshi. Due to unprecedented emergency, the hospitals are swamped with patients, some symptomatic and some asymptomatic.
The health care turned COVID Centre in Govandi witnessed high rates of COVID-19 cases in the beginning and due to this, fewer health workers were willing to offer services out of fear. Dr Asif Khan, who currently works in the COVID-19 ward of the hospital, has rotational shifts of 6 hours and used to live in a hostel provided by the hospital as a precaution. “My job is risky, but I have to work as a doctor and I cannot stay home,” he said. Dr Imran Ali, an orthopaedic surgeon offers his 24 hours of service to Apollo hospital and also runs his own clinic in Andheri West of north Mumbai. “I don’t operate (fractures or dislocations) my patients until I get their COVID-19 reports,” he said.
Only after seeing an exponential rise in cases we started looking for all recognized publications regarding the disease to get more possible information”, he added. The unplanned outbreak of the coronavirus has brought uncertainty and a crisis situation is witnessed worldwide. The health workers working for long hours in PPE kits and masks treating COVID-19 patients with experimental drugs against the airborne transmission of the disease have caused anxiety. It has taken a toll on my mental health because I’m more concerned for my family but I still care for my patients. I’m still undecided and constantly fighting battles between these two”, said Dr Qureshi.
Amid the rising cases, the doctors believe that the cases will go down in the coming days. “We might see some decline in cases but eradication seems questionable,” said Dr Imran Ali. “Maybe the vaccines (to prevent) and potent specific antivirals (to treat) will cause a difference, but it’s a long shot”, he added. Dr Qureshi said, “My faith was never targeted, but many of my friends suffered. Apart from religion, they were asked to stay safe since they were treating patients including that of the Muslim community because they might spread the virus in the society”.
Post the Tablighi Jamaat event held in Delhi’s Nizamuddin Markaz, the discrimination against the Muslim community was on the rise, causing communal tensions. “I did not face such discrimination though I see more non-Muslim patients. They didn’t speak ill of me. Everyone said the same that this is politics”, said Dr Shamsi.
