Dr A S Bhatia
Corona pandemic has made some terms very popular even among common masses like hand sanitization, masks, PPE kit and the ultimate, Social Distancing! I wonder whether the word social distancing could have been substituted by physical distancing! Back to history, the Indian society has struggled hard to overcome the taboo of social distancing and untouchability. There was a time when lower caste Hindus were not allowed to enter temples and even were denied water from the village well! They were considered untouchable and were socially distanced from all important events. Many great souls like Mahatma Gandhi , Baba BimRao Ambedkar and many more have fought against this taboo.
One among them was Satyashodak movement launched by Jyotirao Phule and his wife Savitribhai Phule in Maharashtra , the place where I did my post graduation in Biochemistry. This movement took a massive campaign against human untouchably and superstitions. Their adopted doctor son Yashwantrao Phule served the people of his area when the deadly Bubonic plague badly affected the area around Nallaspora (The name made famous by the Kapil Sharma Show!) Maharashtra in 1897. Both mother and son Dr Yashwantrao Phule succumbed to deadly Bubonic plague after contracting it while serving the patients affected with plague. That was a time when many people from higher caste were reluctant to become doctors as the British rulers had made it mandatory that medical practitioners treat all kind of patients irrespective of their caste and religion including Dalits and Shudras. But India has evolved a lot since then. Now we can see a tremendous change in the society. I could see doctors from all caste, creed and religion working tirelessly in this pandemic to mitigate the sufferings of people.
At the end of 2019, when the virus struck the world, much hue and cry was raised all over the globe about shortage of PPE kits. Even a little child of today is well aware about the word PPE kit. But not many people are aware about the life spent inside the PPE kit. Body armor, boots and gloves were used as early PPE kit focused on protecting wearer’s body from physical injury. Then during the outbreak of plague there was Plague doctor costume. These were made up of thick material which was then coated with wax to make it water resistant. Interestingly it also used to have a mask with long beak like structure filled with pleasant smelling flowers, herbs to prevent the spread of miasma or bad smell, the prescientific concept of bad smells which spreads disease through the air. The recent PPE kit is believed to be promoted by Wu Lien-the in the year 1910-11.The personnel protective equipments are thought to be the first line of defense to prevent the spread of novel corona virus
It was in Government Medical College Jammu when while standardizing the Immuoassay autoanalyser for doing antibody testing for Covid patient, I wore the PPE kit. The kit has to be carefully worn. It took me about 15 minutes to don (scientific word for wearing the kit) the PPE kit. Once inside, I felt like a captive in a small cage. The vision through the goggles was very poor initially and it took me some time to adjust to the hazy vision. Once inside I was finding it very challenging to communicate with my other technical staff. They even could not even see my lip movements. I was feeling difficulty in breathing. However after half an hour later I was bit comfortable in the kit cage. It took us about eight hours to complete our target of calibration and standardization of the machine with covid positive samples. It was an 8 hours ordeal inside the kit. No food, No water and even no going to the toilet to relieve your self was the agony in eight hours. I wonder if there is need to add one additional component to the PPE kit and that is adult Diaper! After four to five hours the whole body was drenched in sweat and irony one could not even scratch the neck where drops of sweat were trickling from the face. You are not in a position to even wipe away the dripping sweat! It looks like a sweat chamber! The things were made more anxious to ensure that the kit does not get breached.
Taking off the kit (Doffing, the scientific name) was another skilled manure so that infection doesn’t spread and to ensure minimum aerosol generation. After taking it off we had to wrap and dispose it of in predestinated biohazard bags.
Now I realize the glamour attached with PPE Kits for a common man and various social organization involved in donating PPE is not that glamorous for the health care workers inside the PPE. We should salute our young medicos, Registrars, Postgraduate students, Interns and all other paramedical staff working hours and days together in the covid wards wearing PPE, when they are themselves held captive by the kit. The similar must have the situation for our soldiers wearing heavy uniforms and taking positions inside the bunkers. What would the life have been for the soldiers positioned at Siachin Glacier where the night temperature often dips to below minus 250C? It’s very easy to speak on Galwan valley conflict, it’s very easy to speak on the position occupied by our Jawans and alleged negligence committed by persons from white battalion in PPE kits, from cozy rooms or on a TV show rather than to realize the dedication and commitment of these young Indians! But here in Jammu the administration had taken an appreciable step by providing good hotel accommodation to healthcare workers on Covid duties during the peak of pandemic, which served two purpose, one, health care workers were satisfied that they are not carrying the virus to the families including elderly parents and second they could relax little bit and restore their physical strength and get ready for next day duty.
One feels bad when some sections of the society and so called self styled leaders speak against the person in white who are working tirelessely in PPE for hours together leading to physical and mental breakdown and at the end of the day feel extremely exhausted and drained out. Many must be remembering the incidence which occurred in Jammu where two young boys lost their life because of alleged dehydration and suffocation in the PPE kits, they were wearing on their way to the cremation of their close relative who previously had died of corona virus. That was simple news for many including me until I had the chance to wear the PPE.
The glamorous household term PPE kit as of now days, is not that glamorous for the persons in white as the life inside the PPE is without food, without water and even without toilet break for eight to ten hours! Ironically we do find reports in the media about attacks on health care workers even in this pandemic.
With every incidence of violence against health care workers, when the innocent public is misled by the local goons to gain cheap popularity by speaking against the health care providers, and as the result of instigation, the general public is transformed into an unruly Mob to attack the Government health care infrastructure and even the medical staff posted there. It is the time when the White battalion gets demoralized and with every assault on healthcare workers, the verse of Mirza Ghalib strikes my mind:
Rasta bhi Uska tha
Ek main akela tha, Kafila bhi uska tha..
Sath-Sath Chalne ki souch bhi uski thi,
Phir raasta badalne Ka faisla bhi usk tha..
Aaj Kyun akela hoon, Dil sawal Karta hai,
Log to uske the, Kya KHUDA bhi uska tha…?
(The author is head
department of Biochemistry,
Government medical College)
feedbackexcelsior@gmail.com
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