Doctors are true warriors because they are not only treating the sick while risking their lives but also looking after people who have nowhere to go during these tough times.
Reportedly, a doctor from Kerala looked after a 6-month-old baby after his parents tested positive for coronavirus. Due to the fear of contracting the virus, others stayed away from helping the child so Dr Mary Anitha stepped in.
After taking care of the child for a month, she handed over the Elvin to her parents on Wednesday. The parents who come from Ernakulam district have completed their home quarantine after being discharged.
They work as nurses at a healthcare facility in Gurgaon. Elvin’s father tested positive last month while the mother returned to Kerala with the child.
Upon reaching Kochi, the mother underwent a quarantine at home during which she tested positive for COVID-19. Even though the district child welfare committee looked for people to take care of Elvin while his parents were being treated, the fear of getting the infection scared away most of them.
Including the families of the parents who also didn’t show up to look after the child.
On June 14, the child welfare committee approached me. By the time the issue reached me, the baby had lived with his mother for several days after she tested positive and his chances of getting infected were very high
A clinical psychologist by profession, the doctor also runs an organization for differently-abled kids in Kochi. Mary shared that without thinking twice, she went ahead and offered to look after Elvin.
I discussed the issue with my family only after expressing my willingness to take care of the baby.
On June 15, she went to the hospital to get Elvin. From there she moved to an empty flat in her apartment complex. Mary has three children of her own who also stepped in by delivering food at the door of the house.
Mary even used to make video calls to Elvin’s parents who were getting treated in Gurgaon and Kochi. Elvin’s mother commented that:
The doctor was a godsend. Nobody would come forward to take care of a baby of a Covid-19 patient. I respect her as well as her family who supported her decision.
When we have people like Mary, it seems that there is hope in the world after all!