“We are fully prepared for Coronavirus. We will take good care of the patients. They need not be afraid and there is no need to flee,” said Durgawati, 48, who is the head nurse in Balrampur Hospital in Lucknow.

Durgavati showed us the isolation wards, that have been made recently in the hospital. The ward is well equipped with basic things such as ventilators and clean drinking water.

There have been several reports that owing to isolation and social stigma fears, people suspected of Coronavirus infection have been fleeing from quarantine facilities in the country. However, the nurses and the frontline workers suggested that fleeing would not be good for the patients. They said that fleeing would not only harm these patients but would also put their family and society at risk. If the patients face any issues, they should let them know and they would take care of the discomfort they experience.

India has recorded 169 Corona cases and three deaths so far (until March 18). Between January 21 and March 17, sample tests of 11,500 people have been taken across the country. However, 14 people have recovered and discharged from hospitals.

As of now, no drug has been made for the novel Coronavirus. The only treatment provided is to keep the patients in isolation wards and treat them there. In view of this, many isolation wards have been set up across the country. Teams of experienced doctors and nurses have been entrusted with the responsibility of these wards. One such isolation centre has been set up by Indo-Tibetan Border Police in Delhi’s Chhawla. People who have been coming to India from abroad are being kept in this centre for a period of 14 days and if they test negative for corona, they are allowed to go home.

Gaurav Shukla, 34, who was working at the University of Wuhan in China, informed us about his experience in the isolation centre in Delhi. “I was kept in a room with one more person. We had to go through several check-ups and tests. The doctors were very attentive. Cleanliness was also being maintained. After 14 days, when I was tested negative, I was allowed to go home. Now I have self-quarantined myself at home. This is how I would be able to protect my family.”

Expressing dismay over the reports of people fleeing from the isolation wards, he said: “It is not a good thing. Believe me, the immature act of these people could bring us harm. I have come from Wuhan in China, the city which has suffered the most due to this virus. We won’t get anything if we escape, keeping self in isolation would be good for them and others.”

Like Gaurav, many people have had a similar experience of living in isolation wards. In Uttar Pradesh, an isolation ward has also been set up in the Civil Hospital in Lucknow. This ward has 12 beds. Recently, one Coronavirus suspect was kept in this ward for two days who later was discharged after he had tested negative for the virus.

At the condition of anonymity, the patient said: “The facilities at the isolation wards are good. Everything from bed to bathroom is clean. The doctors who came to test me would always be dressed up properly in order to avoid infection. The staff was also wearing that particular uniform.”

To avoid infection, doctors and nurses wear personal protection equipment (PPE) kits before coming in contact with patients to avoid catching this virus. But despite these kits, many doctors and nurses have still become infected. The doctor in China, who first discovered the Coronavirus, had to go through the same drill. Similarly, more than 2,500 health workers in Italy have been affected by the disease.

Commenting on the health risks, Rajiv Lochan, director, Balrampur Hospital, Lucknow, said: “We know that this is a dangerous virus, but we cannot run away from it. It is our responsibility to treat the patient. I have read the reports of health workers getting infected from this virus in Italy, which is disturbing. But our focus is to fight this disease, and we have prepared ourselves for this fight.”

A number of videos have been made where people are appreciating the arrangements made for health workers and patients. One such video is going viral on social media. 

Commenting on how prepared the staff in Lucknow is, Urmila, who is a nurse in Balrampur Hospital in Lucknow, said: “We have also worked during the Swine Flu. Now we shall also work for the Coronavirus patients. We are not afraid of it. All of us are going to die someday or the other, but if we save lives and die that would be a privilege for us. This is the job of serving and we are ready to do it wholeheartedly.”