Doc gives virus taste of its own medicine

Vadodara: Thrice quarantined, Covid is now a ‘mere isolation time’ for this gutsy 27-year-old doctor, who has also tested positive of the virus once. Meet Dr Hinal Upadhyay, a third-year resident doctor with anaesthesia department at the state-run SSG Hospital, who has given Covid a taste of its own medicine, literally.
First, she had tested Covid positive in a week when she was supposed to take rest after she had been sent on a week’s Covid deputation to Ahmedabad’s civil hospital from May 13.
“After the week ended on May 20, I was in quarantine till May 27. But I started developing sore throat and fever. On May 26, while already in quarantine, I tested positive and so the isolation got extended by 14 more days,” said Upadhyay.
As soon as the 14-day quarantine period ended on June 8, she bounced back rejoining general hospital duties from June 9. However, she was assigned Covid duty again at the SSG’s isolation ward from June 13, making her undergo another week in quarantine after week ended on June 20.
“The challenging part in the 8-hour PPE kit duty is the ‘no food, no loo’ drill till duty hours are over. That surely demands mental strength,” said Upadhyay, who is the first doctor in her family.
The daughter of an engineer father, Upadhyay pursued her MBBS from Rajkot Medical College and is doing MD anaesthesia from Baroda Medical College.
“Despite being from the city, I haven’t met my parents for the past two months who are tense for me, but keep encouraging me too,” she added.