BLEED IN ARMOR DURING WAR: PERIODS AND PPE’S




 

In the unresolved debate of nature of virus, weather living or nonliving….

Among the mysterious facts on symptoms of virus, weather infecting respiratory or gastric system…

Under the uncertainty of vaccine for virus, weather curative or not…

In the battle against virus, weather alone or as army…

We are struggling on daily basis since the day of COVID-19 outbreak.

We, from common man to people’s government are fighting without break.

In this war against bio-disaster while entire world is battling in lockdown being in quarantine, health workers are battling in frontline to save lives of people infected with covid-19. Meanwhile, government is supporting them by guiding nation to drive in single tract. The fact is we are fighting this battle with corona and economy simultaneously. With the scarce personnel, house surgeons and PG interns working along with senior doctors filling the gaps to serve nation. With the scarce equipment, cloth masks and HIV kits along with ventilators and PPE kits filling the gaps to protect nation.

The armor in battle: personal protection equipment

As a common man, we know how it feels under a mask. But can we imagine how it will feel in PPE’s.

From the experience of health workers, in their words “It is exiting to work in isolation and quarantine wards as in such young age, we interns got opportunity to serve noble cause. On my first day duty wearing PPE kit, it felt like great responsibility lay on my shoulders. Within half n hour, it started suffocation in PPE not in fear of responsibility but due to high humidity under PPE. Because of sweating, the dress which i wore is completely become wet. I was not able to concentrate on myself as duty comes first and rest of duty shift, i was lost in serving patients”

But working in frontline is not easy as merry words; it requires commitment and bravery to fight against all the odds

Foreseen odds in battle:

The most predicted odd in this war is PERIODS. How come monthly natural process of menstruation will be a predicted odd during COVID-19 outbreak?

The answer is that the actual odd is PERIODS IN PPEs. Health worker being a nurse, house surgeon, intern or doctor working in PPEs in entire shift of eight hours and duty shift may coincide with her periods. If the dress got soaked in half n hour, how they are tolerating for eight hours. And how difficult it is to tolerate periods in PPEs when one need to change pads for every 6 hours during their first three days?

“Recalling such day will lead shiver in my spine. I came to know that i got my periods after three hours of duty. I had sharp pain in stomach too. It leads to 1000 questions whether to use washroom or not as PPE will get wasted if i take off for meeting my requirement and there are still few more patients to see. Finally I completed my duty to meet patients requirement during such condition not only virus but scarcity too. Day ended with stain but its fine.”


“That was second day of periods and my duty day in isolation ward. I managed to wear light dress and ultra thin pad for long days protection as I know condition under PPEs. But it was not as I thought and I came to know that fact within an hour. Sweat is dripping all the way from my body and I felt wet pad in need of changing. Getting another intern in my place is easy but wasting another PPE is not wise. So I choose to continue in same PPE with some courage”

From those inspiring experiences, sight of frontline workers is reflecting true patriotism as selfless warriors. Literally they were serving others while keeping themselves in pool of blood, their own blood with risking themselves. I can visualize each woman who bleeds in armor during war against covid-19 as Rani Jhansi Lakshmi Bhai during war for independence.  She held her adopted son on her back and fought in battlefield with courage to stand as inspirational icon. Today, health workers holding their periods on armor PPEs and fighting in open battle with patience to lead as motivational emblem.

Let’s salute to frontline warriors who bleed in armor during war against Covid-19.


-Dasu Rama Sri Vineela


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