Combating coronavirus: Medics back on frontlines in UAE after recovering from Covid-19

There was never a #StayHome period for medics. They are on the frontlines in the UAE's war on Covid-19.

Some of them have contracted the virus in the line of duty, but that did not stop them from returning to the frontlines after recovering.
Living the community spirit
A customer care executive at NMC Specialty Hospital - Al Ain, Pakistani Mehran Khan's work was routine until the pandemic struck. Soon, his work became far more demanding and challenging. He represented his hospital at the mobile screening camp operated by the government to conduct mass screenings at various workers' accommodations in Al Ain.
Despite taking all precautionary measures, he was tested positive and got admitted. "Those 20 days of medical care in isolation made me realise how important life is. After testing negative, I was in home quarantine for 14 days," said Mehran.
To step up and begin helping again, he consulted his doctor for plasma donation and has been cleared for it after completing the required 28-day period post his second negative test result.

Fighting the virus a couple goal
An urgent care nursing in-charge with NMC Specialty Hospital - Al Ain for five years, Nikhil Sabu encounters numerous Covid-19 cases every day. Urgent Care, being the entry point of the virus, puts him and his colleagues in stressful situations to evaluate, triage and stabilise the critical and non-critical patients and decide the future course of disease management.
"We have 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, who hails from Kottayam, Kerala.
Sabu's wife Anumol Joy, a nurse working at a government hospital in Al Ain, is pregnant with their second child and has also boldly accepted the challenge. "We have limited our engagement with our 2.5-year-old, who is now taken care of by a nanny. It's painful and hard but we have to avoid direct contact with the child."
He healed while all alone
Dr Dhanaraja Devadiga, a general practitioner in the intensive care unit (ICU) at NMC Speciality Hospital - Abu Dhabi since 2009 was tested positive to the virus, despite taking all precautions.
He started having symptoms of fever, headache, muscle pain with a sore throat on April 22. "I immediately got a Covid-19 test done and as I suspected the report was positive," said he said.
Not having the family with him, Dr Dhanaraja had to battle with the encouragement of his colleagues.
"Initially, I was 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. Fortunately, I recovered significantly and was confident to get back to work", said Dr Dhanaraja, who has joined back after the required isolation period and now in-line for the plasma donation.
reporters@khaleejtimes.com