Memoirs Of a Special Child: June 2020

Friday 19 June 2020

Defying Disability

“Disability is not a Limitation….
It is just a Mindset”
_Chaitanya Mukund

In the third installment of #SALUTINGTHESUPERHEROES, lets meet Dr.Rupinder Kaur, an Ayurvedic medical officer, who has defied her disability for serving the humanity.

Q: Please tell us a bit about yourself?

Ans: Hailing from Ludhiana, Punjab. I am working as Ayurvedic medical officer under national health mission from the last 10 years, currently posted in PHC Jodhan. I got diagnosed with Polio, when I was just 6 months old. But despite that, today I am as independent as anybody else, and my only motto in life is to serve the humanity, help others and fulfill my duties as a doctor.

Q: What are your responsibilities and challenges as a COVID fighter?

Ans: These days due to COVID, my duties are assigned in general OPDs and flu corner, which is a separate section within the hospital. Here we examine people with ILI (Influenza like illness). We inquire about their travel history, especially international travel, possible contact with a COVID patient etc. We guide them regarding precautions to be taken, and go for a COVID test in case the symptoms flare up.

I am also a part of Rapid Response Team (RRT), which is carried out at block level. So if someone enters our block, be it the contacts of a COVID patient or anyone returning from national or international travel, it’s our foremost task to quarantine them immediately, following obtaining of their travel history, bio data and other relevant information.

During the field visits, people look at our caravan of vehicles with so much wariness and alarm. To convince them that these are here for their own wellbeing is quiet a big challenge.

Q: So are there any challenges which you face as a specially-abled while doing your job as a COVID fighter?

Ans: There are certainly challenges when it comes to field work as there many places in rural areas which are completely inaccessible for persons with disabilities, due to uneven surfaces, under constructed roads, steep tracks etc, that even able bodied have a hard time to walk upon more often than not .

But having said that, our team is very supportive and cooperative and they help me at each step.

Q: What inspires you to work so hard and with such perseverance?

Ans: My biggest strengths are: my friend circle, my office mates and my family. They have always believed in my ability. Not even for a second, I feel my disability. With them around, I can be myself. Also keeping one’s willpower intact is very important, along with a positive approach for better decision making. It all enhances the essence of life.

Q: Your message to other COVID fighters?

Ans: First of all, my heartfelt thanks goes to all the corona fighters including sweepers, garbage collectors etc, who are doing their duties diligently despite all odds. People have realized their importance.

I just want to say that, they are doing a great job and continue to do the same. Because at the end of the day, it is our collective contribution, which will make way for a better tomorrow.

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Tuesday 2 June 2020

Fighting The COVID Fire

Contribution of Fire and Rescue Services, MC, Chandigarh during COVID-19.

1. All leaves and weekly rests were restricted in wake of COVID-19, and the Fire Service was deployed round the clock to handle Fire and Rescue operations in the City and nearby vicinity.

2. Sanitization of public places was carried out by the Fire and Rescue Services, MCC to disinfect the City.

3. Fire Service officials were deployed on CTU buses to supervise the adequate supply of Fruits and Vegetables in various sectors of the city during lockdown.

4. The daredevil officials of Fire Service are engaged to carry out the Home Quarantine of the Contacts of Positive Corona Cases, Negative Cases and those who are arriving at Chandigarh from other states.

Yes...they not only give fire a ferocious fight, but now they are also combating COVID with all their might!

In the second interview of the series #SALUTINGTHESUPERHEROES, let us meet Mr. Anil Kumar Garg, Additional Commissioner-cum-Chief Fire Officer, PCS (Nodal Officer Contact Tracing and Quarantine COVID-19). A man who is at the helm of all these efforts, leading from the forefront in fighting this fire of despair.

Q: What was the biggest challenge you came across as a COVID19 Frontline Warrior?

Ans: Nowadays, I am primarily looking after areas of contact tracing and quarantine. People with both higher and lower risk rate are getting quarantined. But the latter are the ones, who besides being positive have Primary, Secondary and Social contacting. Primary contacts are a great threat to the people within their vicinity. Therefore, in order to undertake the task of contact tracing and quarantining effectively, it became imperative that the workforce on board was highly motivated and willing, which was quite a challenge.

Q: How does this contact tracing really works? What are the key factors you keep in mind while undertaking it?

Ans: The first thing we do in contact tracing is to have a telephonic conversation with the positive patient, providing them moral support and counseling. After obtaining information like; where did they go? Whom they came in contact with? What all they did during that time period? etc, our ground team simultaneously visits the friends and family members of the patients in order to verify their versions. Then we quarantine all those who came in contact. Even after the verifications, if we feel that there is still something more to it and the patient is not co-operating properly, we trace their calls, locate the mobile tower, get the call log and talk to people he or she contacts frequently. But during the whole process, we ensure full secrecy of the patients, as people regard it as defamation which is not true. It is just an illness and not a stigma.

Q: Your fire department has a taken this unique initiative of bringing smile on the face of kids as well as homeless people who cannot celebrate their birthdays due to this outbreak. Tell us something about it.

Ans: Since lockdown was going on and there was nobody to cheer them up on their special day, we decided to take up this initiative. So whenever we got to know about these birthdays through newspapers, social media, friends and relatives of the person, we made sure to make the day special and once in a lifetime event for them. Our team used to go around singing ‘Happy Birthday’ on PA (Public Announcement) System, making the birthday a well known fact for the whole locality, and wishing that person with a homemade cake.

Q: How was the response?

Ans: The initiative got a lot of appreciation from everyone. People felt thankful and cared for during these testing times. After all, even a small moment of happiness can make a big difference.

Q: Your message for other COVID fighters?

Ans: My only message would be that one should keep serving the humanity and our respective nations. If we continue to work with utmost passion and perseverance, we will definitely win over corona.