‘At the end of the day, I am also human’

As we count the tragic demise of hundreds of people succumbing to the coronavirus every day, we often forget the hundreds of health workers who continue to fight back, helping others overcome the virus and return home to their families.

In December of last year, doctors and nurses in Khulna finally found some breathing space after the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic subsided. From December to March of this year, Khulna Medical College Hospital's (KMCH) Covid-19 unit had only two to three patients on average, said Dr Shuhas Ronjon Haldar, RMO of the hospital. 

However, starting in April, things began to take a turn for the worse. The number of deaths and infections began to swell. In July, the division saw up to 1,318 Covid-19 related deaths and around 36,015 cases of infections. 

Deaths were reported in almost every hospital in the division. Most hospitals treated patients beyond their capacity. 

"Our coronavirus unit can treat 130 patients simultaneously. We increased it to 200, and yet during the peak months (June-July), we had to treat dozens on the floor," the Resident Medical Officer Dr Haldar told The Business Standard. 

KMCH director Dr Robiul Islam said most patients during the third wave of coronavirus had been from the villages. 

"As you know, This virus is called happy hypoxia because patients have no idea that their body is losing the oxygen battle until it is too late. Many people from the villages came here with deadly complications at the last stage, which we struggled to deal with," Dr Islam said. 

More than 120 KMCH doctors were engaged with the hospital's Covid-19 unit on various shifts. 

When we visited the unit, we found many of the seats empty. The flow of patients has reduced significantly. However, with cyclones and the pandemic battering the coastal population, the third wave's impact was palpable on the doctors and nurses in service. 

Right in front of the red zone lies the chamber of Dr Asad (not his real name). 

A young duty doctor at the coronavirus unit, Dr Asad said that all the deaths that took place in front of his eyes haunt him when he is alone. 

"I have witnessed young men passing away right before my eyes. A young man in his early 20s, just as he was brought here at the very last moment, expired as we struggled to help him breathe. Many such patients were brought at the last hour who died long before we could get them oxygen," Asad told The Business Standard. 

The doctor said that he witnessed five to six deaths every day in the coronavirus unit. 

"Here, the deaths were like in the movies. Thanks to happy hypoxia, no one had any clue that he or she was going to die," Asad said. "When the virus infects too much of a patient's lung, nothing can be done to save the patient." 

We asked Asad how his service in the Covid-19 unit impacted his personal life. 

"As a doctor, I have to face such situations every day, but at the end of the day, I am also human. I have served my patients. But I will always feel guilty about the lives I could not save." 

The stories of the nurses in service were not any different. 

"We have to work here in red zones tirelessly. We are often understaffed. But we are more anxious about our families. We risk it all," Nasima Khatun, a nurse, told us. 

The nurses at the red zones are covered head to toe in protective robes. But this does not guarantee their safety. Another nurse on duty, Bithika Malaker, said that most of her colleagues had tested positive for Covid-19 already.

As we count the tragic demise of hundreds of people succumbing to the coronavirus every day, we often forget the hundreds of others who continue to fight back, helping others overcome the virus and return home to their families. Ever since the beginning of the crisis, thousands of people have received proper treatment from the country's hospitals and eventually overcame the virus.

To save the patients, our doctors and nurses are heroes who put their lives on the line to carry out their duties, day in and day out.

Let us ask a different question. Have you ever wondered why doctors always reassure even the sickest of patients that he or she will get well soon? 

"Sometimes we assure a patient that he or she will get well, even though we know their chances of survival are low. Such reassurances often give the patients the courage to fight back," told Dr Manos Mondol at Satkhira Medical College Hospital. 

This hospital in the border district, Dr Mondol said, admitted up to 240 patients. 

"In our Covid-19 unit, around seven to eight people die on average every day. We have gotten used to admitting people beyond our capacity. Even then, some patients are being turned back. Many are dying at home," Dr Mondol said. 

In the hotspot border districts where hospitals and doctors struggled to meet patients' calls, local volunteers stepped up and assisted patients as much as they could. 

"On June 30, the central oxygen supply stopped functioning at the Satkhira Medical Hospital," Arafat Hossain, a volunteer at Humanity First told The Business Standard. 

"It was the scariest night for us volunteers. We managed as many cylinders as we could, but despite our efforts, around seven people died due to oxygen shortage that day." 

Humanity First is not alone. Dozens of organisations came forward in almost every district across the country. 

In an era when self-interest is worshipped as a virtue, the country will always look up to these exceptional people. We have our heroes. Let us acknowledge them and be very proud of them. 

The Business Standard correspondents Aninda Haque from Khulna and Akramul Islam from Satkhira contributed to this story.