SRINAGAR: At the pea of tensions when two Chuchot residents tested positive for the Covid-19 and people dreaded with fear, the reassurance came from two young ladies – both nurses at Leh’s Sonam Norboo Memorial Hospital. They did not only volunteered to work and manage the patients but also put an audio message on the social media suggesting people ensure communal harmony Chandigarh based newspaper, The Tribune reported on Thursday.
They were Tsering Yangzom Skurbuchan, a 35-year-old senior nurse, and Angmo Likir, a 27-year-old trainee nurse. They were the first response team that entered the ward and treated the two Covid-19 patients.
The news coverage of the Coronavirus had created a scare when, all of a sudden, two patients admitted to the hospital were tested positive. Residents of Chuchot, both of them had flown home from a pilgrimage to Iran, one of the worst victims of the pandemic. Chuchot is still in quarantine.
“There was a lot of fear and everyone was reluctant to treat the patients,” Yangzom told the newspaper reporter, Majid Jehangir. “We volunteered to treat them despite our families’ initial reluctance. We worked 24×7 for 23 days and am happy that both the patients are recovering.” She is the mother of a 5-year old child but was mentally ready to manage the Covid-19 patient.
Ladakh was the first to report the viral infection. It had so far 14 cases, of whom the first two have recovered. The last case came after a 12-days hiatus. Most of the people who are on Iran pilgrimage, however, are either stranded in Qom (Iran) or are in quarantine outside Ladakh. Three of around 270 stranded people who had tested positive have already died in Iran.
“As the number of positive cases in Ladakh started rising in early March, the two nurses put out a nearly eight-minute audio message which went viral on social media. The message urged the people of Leh not to panic,” the newspaper reported. “Ghulam Mohammad Chow, Sarpanch of Chuchot, said the two nurses had done a great job and sent out a strong message of communal harmony.”
Yangzom, a nursing graduate from SKIMS Srinagar had worked at GB Pant hospital in Srinagar for two years, before joining the hospital back home. Everybody including the hospital superintendent is talking high about the duo’s commitment and dedication towards their profession. “There was a lot of fear when the two patients tested positive, but the two nurses did a great service by volunteering for work. They gave confidence to the other staff,” Dr Saphel was quoted saying by the newspaper.
However, they ensured their work inside the hospital has an impact on the ground outside too. Their voice record that went viral on social media said: “All of you are very well aware of the precautions and follow it strictly….Give emotional support to patients, just like our own family. It’s none of their fault or sin that they got infected. Please treat them with love and care.”
