India is struggling with a second wave of the pandemic with more than 3,00,000 daily new corona cases being reported in the past few weeks. Hospitals are reeling under an acute shortage of medical oxygen, remdisivir, and beds.

This outbreak is unique and unprecedented. After an initial mundane response suddenly a mass hysteria and panic were created because of the 2nd wave. There was/is unfiltered non-scientific information bombardment. But as if this was not enough soon hospitals are deluged with patients, dead bodies, panic, chaos coupled with administrative confusion. Rapidly changing guidelines and protocols, manipulated data by ‘responsible’ people, uninformed and misguided sweeping statements by our overzealous TRP seeking media, blame games by different governments, defending their favorites. Google taught attendants… demanding live CCTV telecast of ICU, and God forbid, if a patient dies in hospital, battering a doctor is like a “janm sidhya adikar”- no one is accountable and no one is punished. No no, please!!!! Don’t get disillusioned, Government does, at times think about us too……Some states recently announced roping in MBBS students and giving them employment ……but pay them less than a sweeper to work in COVID wards !!!! Doctors have in the last few weeks stretched their limits to provide some relief to patients by managing them at home and providing consultations for free, The pandemic is taking a huge toll on our psyche and mental balance. We are most vulnerable and at increased risk of getting the disease. It is causing undue stress and restlessness when colleagues get sick or test RTPCR positive resulting in self-isolation or quarantine. As every time a doctor falls ill the already strained health system gets a blow. It is scary to see our own fraternity left right and front falling prey of the unseen enemy in efforts to help others. Besides the constant but lurking fear of infecting our own family members and treating our near and dear ones. Unwashed, long white roots with untrimmed locks no longer bother us, it’s in a coons age to adorn a favorite lipstick, life has shifted from N5 perfume to N 95 mask. Shield double masks, PPE kits are the new designer wear of this season. Regular steaming has replaced periodic sauna and facials. Covid ward doctors get drowned in sweats, the goggles start fogging up and the vision starts to blur in few minutes. Everything in front would look like a low-quality YouTube video, however, there’s no option to increase the picture quality as we know that removing the goggles, even for clearing the fog, is not the safest of practices. Most of the doctors are experiencing severe headaches and dizziness during duty times. These ailments can be attributed to overwhelming physical and emotional stress.

There is no scope for us to even take a chill pill as it would also require us to uncover the protective shield. This is not all, Government doctors are from another planet, the dictum for them is: work till you turn positive, wait till you turn negative to work again. For few doctors weekdays, weekends, nights and days are completely irrelevant; it is as if time has stopped since the arrival of the virus. There are no seasons now we only have lockdown 1, lockdown 2, lockdown 3……. Each patient presents unique challenges, though they all share the diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2. The number of cases is surging day by day so is the number of patients in the hospital wards. There’s a huge burden of responsibility on our shoulders, and at times we feel the load. But one thing is for sure, our deeds can change the course of history. Even amidst all this chaos, doctors are committed to doing their duty in the best possible way. I have always felt that in their efforts to safeguard the patients they often forget about their personal well-being. Even in these toughest of conditions doctors are risking their lives for the safety of others. Although, what they get in return for all this is still a matter of concern.