COVID-19: Pune doctor returns to duty day after losing father
In a show of utmost grit and commitment, a Pune doctor returned to duty just a day after losing his father to the coronavirus. Dr. Mukund Penurkar, an internal medicine specialist at the city's Sanjeevan Hospital, says it was the only way to pay tribute to his father. Dr. Penurkar's mother and brother are also undergoing treatment for COVID-19. Here is more on this.
'Very difficult to think I could not save him'
On April 26, Dr. Penurkar lost his father Ramdasrao Penurkar but reached the hospital the next morning to attend to other COVID-19 patients. He even had to perform the last rites all alone, as his mother and brother were undergoing treatment in the ICU. "It's very difficult for me to think that I could not save my father despite being a doctor," he said.
Dr. Penurkar's parents got infected while living in Nagpur
Dr. Penurkar's parents had been living in Nagpur with his younger brother. However, he had contracted the coronavirus on April 17, after which their parents also tested positive. They could not arrange oxygen beds anywhere in Nagpur. "After several unsuccessful attempts, I arranged a cardiac ambulance and got them into Sanjeevan Hospital (sic)," the doctor said, according to a report by Pune Mirror.
'It's painful when you can't share the grief with family'
"On one hand, it was hard to face the loss of my father while on the other, I was worried because of the condition of my mother and brother. With a heavy heart, I had to inform them of the sad news," Dr. Penurkar was quoted as saying. "It is very painful when you have no one in the family to share the grief."
Serving the society is our priority for now, says doctor
"Serving the society is our priority for now. The situation is such that even family members are unable to meet their dear ones. We are going through a difficult time and we need to work hard to get over it," Dr. Penurkar added.
Doctors exhausted as second COVID-19 wave grips India
Doctors and other frontline healthcare workers all across India are overworked, exhausted, and even losing their loved ones, as a dreadful second wave of the coronavirus has gripped the country. India has been reporting lakhs of infections and hundreds of deaths daily for the past few weeks. Private as well as state-run medical facilities are struggling to arrange medical oxygen and other essential supplies.
