Ever since the second wave of Covid Pandemic lapped in the suburbs and rural areas of Kathua district, the challenges for Doctors and Paramedics of the Associated Hospital, GMC Kathua increased manifold. The positivity rate in rural areas witnessed a steep rise with the start of May month.Being the premier healthcare institution of the district, GMC Kathua touched its capacity admission for Covid patients as the second wave turned out to be a lot more contagious as compared to 1st phase of Covid-19 upsurge.Twenty Six year old Priyanka Kumari, a Staff Nurse working in Gyne, OT of GMC Kathua was asked to switch her duties in Covid Isolation Ward in view the increasing Covid positivity rate in the district.Youngest among three siblings, Priyanka Kumari narrates her tale of being on duty at Covid ward. “It requires highest vigil as the ailing patients who are emotionally drained and scared of the deadly disease also need compassion than just medicines” she said.While expressing her heart out, Priyanka Kumari said that her passion of serving people was her childhood dream and Nursing was among the top choices she wanted to pursue to fulfill it without any second thought in her mind.Sharing her experiences of Covid related duties, She said she is grateful to be spending time caring for and being with patients during the first ever Pandemic she witnessed in her life.She describes what it's like to be on the frontlines of the pandemic, admitting that her fellow nurses at first were little worried and afraid of doing duties in Covid wards but also knew 'this was our calling'.It looked quite challenging when we first joined the Covid dedicated duties and went through the routine which was altogether different and demanding. Though dealing with risky situations has always been part of a Nurse's day to day work, but Covid brought daily routines and sacrifices that are different, life altering and far reaching,” she added.
Sharing experiences of her short stint of nearly one month in Covid related duties, Priyanka said the six hour shift in Covid ward is an emotional roller coaster ride when you saw many improving and responding well to the treatment but few of them losing battle at the same time' she said this with mixed expressions on her face.Daughter of a serving CRPF officer, a native of Phalain Mandal village of Satwari Block of Jammu, Priyanka Kumari has done her schooling in Kendriya Vidyalaya Chandigarh, Pinjore and Hyderabad at different stages, as the family move along with father when and where got new place of posting.After my schooling we moved back to our native place Phalian Mandal in Jammu from where I pursued my Nursing from Bee Enn Nursing Institute, Chak Bhalwal, Jammu added Priyanka Kumari.Graduated in Nursing, Priyanka got the opportunity to serve as ICU Nurse in Government Super Specialty Hospital, Jammu for 3 years on contractual basis, before getting selected as Staff Nurse and posted in GMC Kathua.“Being single, away from family and staying in isolation after a 6 hours shift in PPE Kits daily sometimes gives you anxiety and a lot of stress. But the cause drives you through as you feel you are required for your services more than before especially when we are in the middle of a pandemic, she added.During the last two months, I haven't visited my family in Jammu just to minimize the risk of getting Covid infection in transit and that has even cost me a meeting with my father who was on leave at home a few days back.Requesting people to adhere to the Covid Appropriate Behavior and get vaccinated as this is way easier than going through any complications due to Covid infection, Priyanka Kumari said in our battle against COVID-19, the onus is on the people. They need to optimize and restrict travel, rather than inviting a situation of lockdowns that hit the common man and economy.People must exercise prudence and caution indoors and outdoors, with stress on adequate ventilation to the extent possible. This day-to-day drill will have to go on until we manage to build a fortress of vaccination around us.