Experience of a nurse working at Lok Nayak Hospital

As Lok Nayak Hospital in central Delhi is a dedicated COVID-19 facility in the capital, the number of patients is now increasing. On May 4, more than 400 patients were admitted. Initially, the patients who were admitted did not have co-morbidities. Now, almost everyone who is admitted has another health complication in addition to COVID-19.

That makes the job of the nurses quite strenuous.

Here is a first person account of a 32-year-old nurse working in the hospital:

We currently work in 8-hour day shifts and 12-hour night shift. In each shift, there are two nurses in each ward. So, accordingly we decide on when to wear the Personal Protection Equipment as there has to be a nurse in the ward at all times.

We change into the PPE suit when we have to go into the ward. Once we wear the suit, we cannot drink water or go to the bathroom. In this weather, we are constantly sweating under the suit as it is not made of a breathable fabric. The AC cannot be switched on in any of the wards as the air is circulated. This compounds the difficulty of working while wearing the suit.

We have to feed the patients, administer medicines and go around with the doctor during their rounds. Once the doctors take the throat and nose swabs in the morning, it is our duty to send it to the labs. Doctors only come in during the morning and evening shift. Hardly any doctor comes in during the night shift to check on the patients. We have to do it.

A lot of patients who have been coming to LN Hospital have hypertension, bronchitis, asthma, kidney complications and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). All of them have to be observed continually.

Earlier, with each patient there would be an attender, so we would know immediately if the patient was feeling some discomfort. Now, we will have to find out if they feel uneasy, have fever or have any other complications as attenders are not permitted as they may also contract COVID-19. Now, since the hospital is trying out plasma therapy on patients who are relatively stable, we have to constantly check their response.

The nurses have to shift patients to the Intensive Care Units and dialysis rooms whenever required. The nursing orderlies, who are contract employees, are supposed to come, but sometimes they do not. Ever since the COVID-19 duty has begun, they are worried too.

Unlike earlier, where nurses would have some time to prepare reports, now we are constantly on the move. Most of the time, we end up staying longer than our shift timings to file reports.