Bhubaneswar: For SUM nurse battling Covid, loneliness all in a day’s work

BHUBANESWAR: Susmita Pothal, a nurse at SUM Hospital who is currently engaged at a Covid care centre in Jatni, on the outskirts of the city, does not know when her fight against the unknown enemy will end. But she is hopeful that one day they will overcome the situation.
Susmita, a native of Balasore, was also engaged in Covid duty during the first wave. She got infected last month and following recovery, she has re-joined work. “I went back to work the day after I completed the 14-day quarantine period. I am feeling well now,” she added.
“We work in four shifts daily. Asymptomatic and mild cases are being treated at the Covid care facility. We also have oxygen facility for patients. We provide food, medicines and check their oxygen level and monitor other health parameters,” Susmita said.
During the first wave, she said symptoms of patients gradually started disappearing after five days of taking medicines. “But now the heart rate and oxygen saturation level are going down despite no such Covid symptoms. Even young patients are facing such issues,” she said. Susmita said health condition of some asymptomatic patients also deteriorates after eight to nine days, which was not seen during the first wave. “It is not easy to know when a person’s health condition will deteriorate,” she said.
Susmita said after work she stays in isolation at the hostel. “I do not meet anybody, not even my family members for fear I might infect someone. I do not know when this Covid situation will pass,” she said.
The Covid warrior said she lost her father’s elder brother to Covid during the first wave. “If anybody from my family gets the infection, I may not visit them as I am in isolation here. I have not met my family members for days. I sometimes feel scared of the disease, but this does not come to my mind when I at work,” Susmita added.
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