With COVID-19 sending shivers down our spine, India is getting ready to face the dreadful virus.
This reminds me of a similar situation at a micro level in the temple town of Tirupati. My father had joined government service as a young doctor and was posted to remote villages in Tamil Nadu. So father’s transfer to Tirupati came as a welcome change as the famous temple invited pilgrims from all over India and abroad. Our home was a stopover for many of our relatives who came for darshan of Lord Balaji.
Father’s transfer to Tirupati was not only to a different place but to a new culture altogether. He learnt to speak a smattering of Telugu and often made people laugh when he mixed up his words. But he managed fine with his patients and won their hearts with his skills and million dollar smile.
His tenure in this town was especially remembered for a particular incident. A terrible epidemic of cholera broke out one summer. With a moving population and hotels and food joints springing up everywhere, the situation had to be contained as quickly as possible. The young and the old, health workers and visitors were all affected badly and quickly fell prey to the dismal situation. Many people died and hospitals were full of patients. There was a shortage of doctors, nurses, medicines and life-saving IV drips. Vulnerable people fled the scene out of fear and distress.
When medicines did not arrive on time, my father took matters into his own hands. He set up tents to isolate the patients, made saline solution with the help of a few loyal staff and treated hundreds of patients who recovered quickly because of the timely intervention.
My mother would wait up till the late hours of the night worried about her husband. He would soak all his clothes in disinfectant and take a bath before entering the house for fear of carrying the infection on him. The next day he would rush to the makeshift hospital and continue his mission, working all through the day and night in spite of splitting headaches and long hours of continuous monitoring of patients and staff. Soon the situation was well under control and father became a hero.
sreelatharadhakrishnan53@gmail.com
