Mumbai: A viral video showing an overworked and traumatised doctor breaking down while speaking about the excessive burden on medical infrastructure has gone viral.
“We are helpless… never seen such a situation before… people are panicking…,” Dr Trupti Gilada, an infectious diseases specialist, said on Tuesday. She pointed out the lack of beds, oxygen, vaccines, Remdesivir and the increase in cases are beyond control.
“I have never seen anything like this… we are so helpless. Like many doctors I am troubled… I don’t know what to do… I am heartbroken. Maybe if I tell you what worries me… if I can help you understand, I might be more at peace,” Dr Gilada said.
“We have to manage so many patients… critically ill patients are being treated at home because there are no beds… we are not enjoying this…,” she added.
She appealed to everyone to take precautions.
“First… please stay safe. If you have not yet gotten COVID… or you were infected but have recovered… don’t think you are a superhero or that you have some immunity… you are wrong. We are seeing so many young people get infected… and we can’t help them,” she warned.
“Second… COVID is everywhere! If you leave home, for whatever reason, you HAVE TO WEAR YOUR MASK. It doesn’t matter why you are going out… but you have to wear face masks, and make sure your nose is fully covered,” she says.
“Third… if you get unwell, if you feel unwell… don’t panic and try to get admitted. There is no space at any hospital… and the few beds we have we need for critically ill patients. First isolate yourself, get in touch with your doctor… and let us decide…” Dr Gilada concluded.
She also said not to believe in unverified WhatsApp forwards and to take the vaccine immediately. “People who get two doses, their infection is not as severe. The vaccine definitely helps,” she said.
The active caseload in the country is now over 20 lakh – a record high, with more than 2.5 lakh new cases being detected every day.
