Many healthcare professionals, who were infected by Covid-19, have resumed their duties of treating Covid-19 patients after recovery.
Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital (SSMCH) has been dealing with Covid-19 cases in the country from the very beginning.
“It will inspire and encourage other infected health professionals across the country to come back to their workplace,” SSMCH Director Dr Uttam Kumar Barua said.
“People won’t fear death as much and will also feel encouraged after seeing health professionals – being the closest to Covid-19 patients in times of need – recovering and coming back to their workplace,” he told Dhaka Tribune.
SSMCH made headlines recently for its inability to provide necessary equipment to the health professionals, which resulted in infection among doctors, nurses, and laboratory staff.
Forty-two doctors, three nurses, and two laboratory technologists joined their work station on Saturday after full recovery.
Fatema Ashraf, head of Gynaecology Department at SSMCH said she won the fight against Covid-19 fight with the mental support from her colleagues, closest persons as well as the grace of the Almighty.
“We wanted to do our best during the ongoing crisis. Our unified effort can contribute to serving the nation's purpose,” she said.
Among the nurses, there was one who got infected, recovered, and rejoined her duty, all during her eight months of pregnancy.
Hospital authorities led by the director greeted the frontline heroes with flowers and masks as a token of appreciation for returning to work to treat Covid-19 patients.
All of them tested Covid-19 negative for the second time after they tested positive last month during their first test, Dr Uttam said.
“Around 1,600 health professionals have been infected across the country so far. Among them are 600 doctors and healthcare workers each, and 400 nurses,” he said.
“Health professionals have resumed their duties on their own accord. The scale of their contribution during the ongoing pandemic, as frontline fighters, can never be measured,” he added.
Md Al Amin Setu, resident physician in-charge of government’s Flu Corner at the hospital tested positive on April 18. He is one of the dedicated frontline heroes.
“Being charged with the flu corner, I have to deal with outdoor patients and coordinate the sample collection of suspects. I resumed my work as a part of providing my service. Or else, the place will remain empty and many people will be deprived of treatment,” he told Dhaka Tribune.
A total of 166 health professionals were infected in the hospital, of which, 87 are doctors, 33 are nurses, and 46 are health workers.