'Work seemed unending, but was satisfying'

PUNE: It has been almost three weeks of unending work for the 75-member team at the corporation run Naidu hospital. They are assuring and counselling thousands of panic-stricken people, taking nasal and throat swab samples of suspected H1N1 cases and treating the confirmed cases, mostly schoolchildren.
The death of Reeda Shaikh started the deluge of patients and panic.The otherwise unknown Naidu hospital suddenly became the centre of attention for common people and the media. The usually deserted lanes of the hospital saw more than a thousand people coming in everyday. This sudden influx caught the hospital staff off-guard.
"The mad rush took us by surprise. After Reeda's death, we knew that more people would come in. But we had no idea it would be such a big number. On the first day after her death, more than 1,000 people turned up, and we didn't know how to manage," said Sudhir Padele, a worker who was later assigned the job of taking samples to the NIV and bringing the daily reports.
Following the confusion of the initial days, the staff learnt some crisis management. "It was due to the teamwork of our dedicated staff that we could overcome the problems we faced initially," said Ramkrishna Pedhekar, a medical officer. The first few days saw numerous scuffles and heated verbal exchanges regarding entry into the medical officers' cabin.
"For the first two days, it was our duty to keep things organised, apart from doing our usual duty. Keeping the waiting people in a queue was difficult since there were a few who were very ill and had to wait for long hours. The police was called in only on the third day," said Santosh Solanki, who was given the responsibility of managing the crowd.
Another problem that they faced was the lack of infrastructure. The positive ward, which was situated in the new building, did not have a supply of running water in the beginning. "We had to fetch water in buckets. The water supply started only on the third day," said Suman Khare, a nurse working in the quarantine ward, who has been with the hospital for the +last 17 years. Though the staff normally works in shifts of eight hours, they didn't mind overstaying. "There were days when we stayed at the hospital for over 12 hours at a stretch," Suman added.
Recounting memorable moments, Shakuntala Ahire, another nurse, said, "At one point of time, the entire positive ward was full of schoolchildren. They would play and jump from one bed to another. We were their family at the hospital. Some children would always want us by their bed. It was touching when one of them pleaded Moushi (aunty) please don't leave me' when my shift ended one day."
Sanjay Pardeshi, the hospital washerman, said, "I would wash over 40 bedsheets and innumerable clothes everyday with my hands. My workload depended on the number of patients admitted. Even if that meant loads of work, I am a satisfied man today. After all, it's not everyday that you get the opportunity to serve people."
When asked if the flu scared them, they unanimously said no. "Initially we were apprehensive. But then we thought that its our duty. We also saw so many people getting cured everyday. Also owing to the encouragement of doctors, we could muster strength," added Pardeshi. Some of the staff has been a part of the hospital for a long time and have also seen epidemics like plague and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).
Even the recovered patients are all praises for the staff members. "The nurses at the hospital were very friendly. Never did they let us feel that we were ill. We used to crack jokes and have fun. They were true to their jobs and took good care of us," said a 16-year-old girl.
Seconding her, another patient said, "The staff at the hospital was my family for the four days I stayed there. They would come in three times a day and give me strength saying that the flu was curable and there is nothing to worry. I will always remember them."