Gaurav Saha, Guwahati: With the rising recovery rate of more than 97 per cent or over 2 lakhs patients recovered from the critical stage of coronavirus all around in India, there is no better story than this that can be told. The increasing number of active cases in different states also acting as an alarm to many.
Meanwhile, many Covid-19 survivors, from old to young, are going back home to their families. We as well witness social unity and support to inspiring stories despite social distancing protocol through the online platform.
There have been several social media campaigns such as “thank-you” campaigns and many more around the world in which people hold appreciation moments for the carers. Many of us come out to balconies and supported the frontline workers with different social campaigns and clap therapy. With a devastating number of over 3 million confirmed cases, the story of extraordinary patience and hard work of the health care workers is being written again after a decade from the last pandemic. The frontline health workers and the first responders have endured the real-time COVID-19 threat which perhaps most people are too scared to think about. Not only physical dedication but also the frontliners have to face mental hardship because some of them have to isolate themselves from their loved ones. This extraordinary crisis brings realization and appreciation for the healthcare workers on the front lines.
A few weeks back, one of the Covid-19 patients named Ronak (aged 54 years old) has been admitted to the hospital. The Covid-19 second wave is testing the healthcare systems of the country once again. The active cases are increasing so high that many of the hospitals in town are out of bed. Even the asymptomatic patients have been shifted to different rooms with patients with other injuries. Ronak as well has to shift to a room with a patient with leg injuries. This patient has been admitted to the room for the last two years. Ronak has observed his roommate several days that he is depressed about the paralyzed legs and is crying for the world outside his room that he cannot see from his bed. On a fine evening, the asymptomatic friend comes to the window and starts describing the scenery outside. He said “The sky is almost cloudless blue and the flock of birds is dancing on the empty lazy space as if it is sinking within clouds. There is a beach and the waves are crawling gently to the shore. The kids are playing around their parents.” Finally, the sunsets, and the depressed friend puts on a smile on his face.
Ronak uses to describe the scenery so dramatically that his friend started to wait for the next day when his friend will tell him about the scene outside.
The hopeful friend wakes up the next morning and gets worried about not seeing Ronak at his bed. He asked the hospital staff many times about him that day. Finally, he gets his answer from a nurse. She tells him that the patient has been suffering from Covid-19 and has died due to a lung infection last night.
He cried and was depressed again as no one is there to describe the scene outside the window. He is curious to know more and he tries hard to wake up from his bed and stand up but he falls. He crawled up to the windows and stand up there. But he is disturbed watching the black walls that blocked the scenery. He called the nurse emotionally. The nurse assures him that there is a concrete wall for the last 10 years of his job. He cried and he understands that Ronak has been trying to motivate him by describing dramatic scenery out of the window.
The orthopedic survivor finally gets well and can stand up and walk on his own. He wrote all of his stories with Ronak on that window panes and we have covered the story as one of the most inspiring stories during the lockdown period. Even there are some more walls and windows that have many more untold stories to tell.
Photo | Representative Image