Page 34 - Plasticos-magazine-7

Though there was fear and panic because of the virulent nature of the virus about which the world was
groping to understand, I voluntarily signed up to help in any way possible and was immediately assigned
with my first task on March 17th 2020 when my dean called me to visit the airport and orient the doctors
of BMCRI ,who were posted there for screening the passengers arriving from different destinations for
COVID infection and counsel and brief them about isolation and quarantine.

I had to go into full swing to know more about the virus by sourcing the information through internet and
fellow doctors from other places who had already been drafted into COVID work. Being a Professor of

Plastic Surgery, I had to catch up quite a lot from every possible source.

MY JOURNEY

I was given the responsibility of being the Nodal Officer for COVID-19, Victoria
Hospital, BMCRI by the DME and was also made a member of COVID-19 Core

Committee, Head of Task Force and was a link between the Government, BMCRI,
Health Care Workers and the media, thanks to our Dean and Director who trusted
me to handle this task. I have been able to plan and execute all my duties without

any hinderence due to the constant support and encouragement given by our Dean
and Director. I have also learnt some diplomacy and to stay calm in the storm after
working with her.

The BMCRI team worked to tie all the loose ends to ensure that everything went

on seamlessly. 1800 bedded hospital was soon transformed into a 550 bedded
COVID dedicated hospital, this was a herculean task to discharge and shift patients
to other hospitals. My saga of calls to other hospitals to accommodate our patients

started that day.

The hospital continued to run the Burns Unit to treat non covid patients during the
whole time.

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