SNS KASHMIR
SRINAGAR, MAY 23 :
In July last year Dr Mir Mushtaq a medical officer at District Hospital Pulwama came back home from the hospital after long hours at work. However, he had never thought he would land in an intensive care unit after some days as he tested positive for Covid-19.That July evening, he was feverish that left him anxious.
“I took it as a normal fever. The next day, I again had a fever. I decided to go to the hospital. I found some Covid symptoms. Immediately my sample was taken which came positive,” he said.
Initially, the 45-year-old doctor was admitted to Pulwama hospital for two days.He was later shifted to (SKIMS) Sher-I-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences Srinagar for further treatment where he was on oxygen support for 12 days and survived. My condition was sick. I wasn’t able to move out. I was unable to go to the washroom,” he said.
Dr Mir Mushtaq hailing from central Kashmir’s Budgam district said he is lucky to be alive.This is a very serious disease which can have far-reaching consequences. I have come back from the death bed. I am highly indebted to one and all for their support,” he said.The war against the pandemic is being fought around the world while doctors and paramedics are on the frontlines despite having long duty hours and huge workloads.Last year, Kashmir lost three senior doctors to coronavirus while more healthcare works have been infected by the deadly virus.
Dr Mir Mushtaq said that the problem is that there is a shortage of doctors in Jammu and Kashmir and exposure levels of medicos is higher than in other parts of the world.There is no break, no breather. We have to protect our people.The problem is that our load is too high this time. Working for long hours is a problem,” he said.
What he observed at SKIMS Srinagar during his treatment is quite contrary. At SKIMS, I saw many patients who would otherwise be managed at home or had been asymptomatic and had occupied beds, which is again a problem,” he said.
The doctor said there should be some kind of communication channels between doctors and COVID patients saying “because you don’t expect a doctor to come now and then.(CNS)