‘Better to serve people than sit at home grieving’

VADODARA: This corona warrior lost five relatives including his parents within five days to Covid-19, but that has not deterred him from ensuring that he ferries patients to hospitals in time.
For Pravinsinh Baria — a pilot with the 108 emergency services in Panchmahal — saving lives is above the massive tragedy on the personal front. He believes it is better to serve people than sit at home grieving.
Last month Baria’s father Saburbhai took ill with Covid-19.The septuagenarian man was rushed to a Covid hospital in April. Baria did not skip duty and continued working after admitting his father at the hospital. Saburbhai passed away on April 21.
Baria could have taken a few days off duty in wake of the tragedy, but remained absent from duty only on April 22. “My father breathed his last on April 21 after I had finished my shift. I performed the last rites on the same day and had to take a leave only on April 22,” he said.
But even as his father was under treatment, his mother, paternal uncle and aunt and his uncle’s son were hospitalized due to Covid-19 in Godhra. Baria, a resident of Khanpur in Morva Hadaf taluka of Panchmahal district, said that the mother was not informed about his father’s death as even her condition was serious.
Baria’s mother Kamlaben passed away on April 25 along with his uncle, aunt and cousin (uncle’s son). “The deaths took place within hours from morning to afternoon,” he said.
Baria said that after cremations, other rituals of his mother and father were performed together. “I had to take leave from April 25 to May 1 for the rituals. I joined duty on May 2,” he said.
When asked about the reasons to join the duty early, Baria said “I feel that it would be better to serve the people instead of sitting at home and grieving.” He also believed that it was better to stay busy amidst the tragedy.