The Healers: An uncaring world

“I remember this mother who was shouting, “please get up and say ‘Maa’ once” to the dead body of her 35 years old son and simultaneously requesting us to let her go and touch him for one last time. We couldn’t allow her because of the fear of infection. That memory is etched in my mind. What could be more horrible than that!

Initially, during the first wave, people were skeptical of getting the tests done because they were scared of being outcast by society. We, as doctors, were also looked down upon as if we were doing a crime by treating the infected patients. I remember our home entrance was blocked by the housing societies because of the very same reason. I often wondered if this was why I had studied so hard and for so long!

Like any other country, India too wasn’t equipped to handle such a crisis. Wearing PPE suits in Delhi summer was a different ball game altogether but I would still say we did reasonably well during the first wave. It is basically the sheer volume of cases that overwhelmed the system. Also, we must realize it is not just the governing bodies but our own irresponsible behaviour that has led to this crisis. Right now, we can blame the government but the reality is, no system was ever equipped to handle the vastness of it all. However, the higher authorities could have been better prepared after the experience of the first wave.