There are countless volunteers at YEF, who have helped many people during the pandemic by contacting leads for hospital beds, oxygen cylinders, and more. They have helped save lives. This is one such extremely emotional story of one of our volunteers, Aratrika Dutta.
I never really realized that we can be happy by making someone happy. To be honest I can be quite selfish. But this pandemic really did change a lot...in all factors. As the death rates kept on rising along with the election rallies, small groups of volunteers came up to help people and on my birthday, yet another one that was spent at home, I joined a group. Honestly, that's the best birthday gift I ever received. Among all the cases that kept on coming, there were some that we could solve, some we couldn't. Days passed by. It was 3rd May, 5.30 PM, another call from an unknown number. I picked it up with a sigh looking for my notebook where I kept all the information tabs.
"Hello?"
"Yes?"
"Ma'am, I got your number...I need an emergency bed ASAP!!"
"Okay, sir...I need the patient details."
"I'll send it to you."
The man sounded really worried. Well, all the patient parties do. But I needed to see if this was more important than the patient case I had already been working on.
TING!!
Patient details
I read from the notification bar.
She's a pregnant woman. Okay, this was more of an emergency than I had thought. As I started sending the details to our volunteering groups, my mind started to think about ways I could help. I had a number...what was the name..oh...it didn't have any name. It just read "EMERGENCY ICU". I should call him. 10 minutes of "please" and "thank you" yet nothing. Bangur....Swaasthya Bhavan...Medical..I'll just call him.
"Sir I think you should just take her to Bangur. This is a critical case. I am sure they'll have an emergency bed."
As he agreed, I opened the patient details once more. The due date was on the 30th..her water broke..she's Covid positive...I had an online class to attend within 5 minutes..I felt a wave of uneasiness wash over as all these thoughts invaded my mind.
I text him "Whatever happens let me know."
"We got a bed. Thank you so much!"
"Not a problem."
Phew!
Did I just solve the case single-handedly?? Wait. No. I needed to wait till the delivery. It's 8.00 PM the surgery should be over by now.
"Hello..?"
"Yes ma'am!"
"Any updates?"
"The doctor will be here at 12:30 AM."
"12:30 AM?!??!"
"Yes. We got a bed as of now."
"Oh. Okay. Just let me know after the surgery. I'll be waiting."
6 hours...3 more cases...2 demands for oxygen cylinders..me.
2:00 AM
No...not anymore. I groan.
"Hello?"
"Ma'am...the surgery went well. It's a boy. Both the mother and the baby is fine. Thank you so much."
Oh no. Is he crying? Why am I crying?
- By Aratrika Dutta, 11th August, 2021
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