A soldier on duty…
Is it morning now? It feels like I just slept few minutes ago. I don’t wanna get up. I still feel so tired. (yawning)
Anyway, I need to get up now. (stretching) I have to get ready for my covid duty.
Living alone in a separate room is really difficult.
People said, “it is just about 4 years of rigorous, bitter and extremely tough army training, then your life will be easy.” Easy? Is this what we call easy? Sleepless nights, 8 hours of duty, a single nurse in a covid ward with nearly 100 patients. (Dreaming in shower) I wish I could have a holiday. I really need one.
(After breakfast) Being at home was so easy. No stress, no work, no efforts.
I miss home.
I still have time to go to hospital. Should I just call family? It’s been days and I haven’t talked to my parents. I think I should do it after work.
I’ll just wear my hospital clothes now.
(Going through the dark hospital lobby) Aghh, this smell of hypochlorite solution. This appears like a symbol of my life. I feel like this smell has covered my brain.
That’s theOh! The donning area. And it’s time to wear the PPE kit and the process begins.
Sanitize hands, wear inner gloves, surgical cap, pull on gown, wear N95 mask, now surgical mask and another mask, now face shield, wear boots, again sanitize hands, wear outer gloves…..and….there…..I’m ready to go to the isolation room.
Huhhh (long heavy breath) How am I supposed to breath? It’s even difficult to walk to the ward with this PPE kit.
I wonder how can people complain about wearing masks? We wear 3 masks and then a face shield too. And walking is so difficult in this kit.
5 minutes inside the kit, and I feel so dizzy. How will I spend the whole day?
(In the covid ward) Covid wards can’t even have fans. Not even windows. I can’t even feel if there is air around me. I already feel sweaty. And breathless and dizzy too.
It’s okay, I am fine. I’m strong. (sighs) nooo… I’m drenched in sweat.
(While doing the job) There are……nearly 100 patients in this ward.
It’s tough though. It’s not even a month after graduation. I’m still a novice. How can they put me on covid duty all alone?
Uuh… I daily have to administer saline drips, then give medicines to the patient, then injections, assist in endotracheal tubal suction, then take care of patients on ventilator support…….
What if I catch virus…..
Oh.! That patient needs water.
Never thought that water will be so mouth-watering.
I too wanna drink some water. It’s after noon I guess. I don’t know. But I’m hungry too.
Agh I can’t eat or drink anything. Can’t even go to the washroom.
I miss mumma and papa.
Shhhh…it’s your job. And you are a soldier too. Shhhh….(heavy breath)
The patient needs help… oh my god this person is so young. Wait…where is the person on the other bed? Someone else is there…
Oh my god! He died? But he was so young.
Every day I see 20-25 people dying. This is so depressing.
Why can’t people just take care of themselves? Everyone has to complain about wearing masks and gloves, maintaining social distancing.
Shortage of beds and other things with constant increase in cases makes it even more difficult. Patients cry for their lives here. Seeing them is tough. So is my job.
Nurses do so much. They are with the patient every time. People think we are here just for injections and bandages. I remember when I did 1st delivery, I held the baby before anyone else in this world, even his mother.
Still few hours left for my duty. Its too hot here. THIS PLASTIC SUIT IS INTOLERABLE. I feel exhausted. And dehydrated and nauseous. My knees are benumbed. (trying to take a deep breath) My senior once vomited on her duty. Still she kept wearing the kit. It’s scary. ENOUGH. I feel I’ll faint in this heat. Agh…it’s fine….
I’ll just call family after duty and…aal izz well. (trying to be okay)
(doing the job with same thoughts waiting for 8 hours to end)
It’s time to go now (with a tired breath).
Removing the PPE kit feels like removing a load of blankets from the body on a hot summer day. Sanitize hands and removing gloves, then shield, and this hell lot of plastic, sanitizing hands again remove mask, cap and boots, then sanitize, now remove the masks and the gloves…it’s too much. Ugghhh…..I’m so sweaty as if I had a shower. And this headache (rolling eyeballs). My nose and ears are sore. Ouch! It hurts to wear such tight fitting equipment daily.
I NEED WATERRR….or my brain will burst out. (a pinch of relaxation after drinking water)
(Back in room) Huhhh it’s over for few hours. Now I’ll video call them. I’ll just get my phone.
(Got a glance at mirror)
I can’t….
This poem is written by Harmanpreet, Ist year
