Meet the ‘Corona Warriors’ on the frontline of war against COVID-19
Healthcare profiles include those who got infected yet resumed work right after recovery
Al Ain: UAE-based healthcare provider NMC has revealed how its “Corona Warriors” are battling COVID-19 on the frontline of the war against the deadly virus.
Nikhil Sabu, who has been working for the last five years as a nursing in-charge in Urgent Care at NMC Speciality Hospital, Al Ain, encounters numerous COVID-19 cases everyday.
‘Totally new dimension’
“Life in the urgent care has totally changed. As an Urgent Care nurse, we come across various life threatening cases throughout our career, but COVID-19 comes with totally a new dimension – the challenge of fighting an unknown enemy,” said Sabu.
While at work, he barely gets time to have his meals or even the sanitary breaks on time.
Hailing from Kottayam, Kerala in India, Sabu is married to Anumol Joy, a nurse working at a government hospital in Al Ain. She is pregnant with their second child and has boldly accepted the challenge too.
Bouncing back
Customer care executive Mehran Khan has been working at NMC Specialty Hospital, Ain for two years now.
As the outbreak spread, Khan was nominated to represent his hospital for the mobile screening camp operated by the government that aimed at conducting mass screenings at various workers’ accommodations in Al Ain, along with other medical staff.
Despite taking every possible precautionary measure, the worst-case scenario hit Khan, who is from Islamabad, Pakistan. He tested positive weeks after his continuous service to this community project. He was admitted at the hospital the same day he received his result.
Following 20 days of medical care in isolation, and after testing negative post his treatment, he was in home quarantine for 14 days.
Khan didn’t settle down at his recovery and joining back his duties, he consulted his doctor for plasma donation. He has been cleared for it upon completing the required 28-day period – mid June - post his second negative test result.
“I feel so proud to have contributed to my second home UAE in its fight against COVID-19 [which] has hidden our most powerful tool behind the mask – our smile, but hasn’t drowned our spirit.”
Fighting spirit
Dr. Dhanaraja Devadiga, from Karnataka state in India, is a General Practitioner in Intensive Care Unit at NMC Speciality Hospital, Abu Dhabi since 2009.
Being on the frontline at the ICU, and despite taking all precautions, he started having symptoms of fever, headache, muscle pain with a sore throat in April.
“As I advise all our patients, I immediately got a Covid-19 test done and as I suspected the report was positive”, he said.
Not having his family here with him, he had to battle it out all by himself and received the encouragement of his colleagues. His wife had wanted to come back from India.
“Initially I was bit worried and anxious about my recovery as at that time there was no definitive treatment and the only way was to improve one’s immunity. So, I followed our dietitian’s advice to improve my immunity. Fortunately, within two to three days I recovered significantly and I was very confident that I would recover fully and get back to work”, said Dr Devadiga, who has joined back after the required isolation period.
Michael Davis, CEO of NMC Health PLC, said, "Right now, our doctors, nurses, technicians, pharmacists and hospital administrators are on the frontlines of battling COVID-19 that’s spreading throughout our city, Emirate and the nation. They are putting themselves in the path of this virus — in the region and around the world — in this unprecedented crisis. These front-liners and everyone who supports patient care are rising to the occasion and caring for our most vulnerable populations. We are ever so grateful and proud of them."