Unbroken oaths: Frontline healthcare staff continue treating Covid-19 patients on Eid
Dr Atiquzzaman arrived at Kurmitola General Hospital early in the morning today -- on Eid day.
He quickly changed his dresses and donned his protective gear, before takings rounds of the isolation wards and exchanging Eid greetings with Covid-19 patients and enquiring about their health.
This is how the registrar of the hospital spent his Eid day -- with Covid-19 patients, away from his family members.
"Eid brings happiness. We, as doctors, are happy when a Covid-19 patient leaves the hospital after a full recovery. This is this year's Eid for us," said Dr Atiquzzaman.
"The patients are tensed as they are also staying away from their families. We exchanged Eid greetings and the patients expressed their gratitude," he added.
When people are celebrating this year's Eid-ul-Fitr with their family members, healthcare service providers, especially those who are working at Covid-19 dedicated hospitals, shared their Eid joys with colleagues and patients in the hospitals.
Many others kept themselves isolated in hotels as there is a high risk of being infected with the virus while treating patients. They could only exchange virtual Eid greetings with family members.
Dr Atiquzzaman said "My family members called me in the morning when I arrived at the hospital -- my three children are upset, as I am not with them on Eid."
The doctor said he would talk to his family members via video call after 3:00pm -- once he returns to the hotel, where doctors treating the highly contagious Covid-19 patients are staying under special arrangements.
The doctors and other healthcare service workers cannot meet their families unless they maintain a 14-day quarantine after their last working day at the hospital.
The frontline fighters against Covid-19 have been going through a tough time since the country was hit hard by the pandemic in early March. Many have been infected since, but continue their fight against the virus.
Dr Sabrina Mohona, a medical officer of Kuwait Bangladesh Friendship Government Hospital, has been confined inside a hotel room in Uttara.
She wanted to celebrate Eid with her husband and two children and for this, she got herself tested following a 14-day quarantine after completing her roster duty.
But the result came back yesterday and confirmed that she was Covid-19 positive.
"I am staying in the hotel. My children ask me to come home when I communicate with them through video calls, but I am not sure when I will be able to see them as I have to maintain another 14-day isolation after recovery -- this is my Eid," said Dr Mohona.
It is for the first time that Dr Nishat Tasnim -- who was appointed on May 12 and posted at Mugda Medical College and Hospital -- celebrated Eid without her family members.
"I feel a little bit sad that I am celebrating Eid without my family, but it is a matter of happiness and joy that I am serving people in need during the outbreak," Dr Nishat said.
"We joined the job with an oath to serve people and I will try my level best," she said, adding that she shared her Eid joys with her husband, parents and in-laws over the phone.
"I wanted to celebrate this year's Eid with family. I could not appeal for leave because of the emerging situation. My mother called me in the afternoon and I promised her that we will be celebrating the next Eid together if the country can get rid of the virus," said a nurse of Mugda Medical College Hospital.
She did not want to be quoted as the authorities asked the hospital staff to not to talk to journalists without prior permission.
But the nurse expressed her doubts about the chances of her celebrating the next Eid with her family members, as the number of infected people is increasing rapidly.
Health experts suspect that the number may increase significantly after Eid as people have been seen violating health guidelines ahead of the religious celebration.
At least 35,585 people were so far infected with Coivd-19 across the country and at least 501 died so far in the coronavirus pandemic.
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