Bhubaneswar: Their sacrifices are camouflaged behind their stoic faces, but ever so often it spools up under the weary eyelids & rolls down their cheeks. The doctors and health workers in Odisha, who are spending days away from their loved ones fighting the pandemic on the frontlines, at times find it hard to fight their tears, but it has not dampened their fighting spirit.
Manasi Jena, a nurse working at the newly-set up SUM Covid19 hospital left her family 15 days back to attend the call of duty. Manasi's eyes moistened remembering her little child she has left at home. But still she hangs on without flinching an inch from her duty.
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"I haven't seen my little son for the past 15 days. I don't want to break down at this juncture of my life where my services are most needed for the people. I will go on serving people as long as possible," said Manasi while wiping her tears off.
"I pray before God that nobody gets infected with Coronavirus and the people already infected get well soon," added Manasi.
Doctor Basant Pati of the same hospital took a leaf out of the pages of epic Mahabharat to describe their fight. "This is a war we are fighting against the Kauravas. We will emerge victorious sooner than later," he said.
Similarly, Dr. Ambika stationed at AIIMS Delhi comes face to face with the Coronavirus everyday at her hospital. One of her colleagues is infected with Coronavirus, but she still works with all her zest in a mission mode.
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"I want my family to know that I am strong enough to handle this pressure," said a lachrymose Ambika.
Medicine Specialist Monalisa Mohanty working at a COVID19 hospital in Rourkela said, "It is scary, but it is also our duty. The only worry for me is my family. So when I get back home, I ensure that I take all precautionary measures to disinfect myself."
Lalita Mohanty, Monalisa's mother, was however quite happy with all the efforts of her daughter in the fight against COVID19.
In 18th Century French writer and philosopher, Voltaire's words, doctors are "Those who are occupied in the restoration of health to others, by the joint exertion of skill and humanity, are above all the great of the earth. They even partake of divinity, since to preserve and renew is almost as noble as to create.”
On the World Health Day today, these sound more than just words, they resound like an ode to the warriors of our times.