Doctors’ Prescription... We Can, So Should You

Doctors’ Prescription... We Can, So Should You

TEAM TOI

New Delhi:22.01.2021

Alka Gujral, a gynaecologist at Max Hospital, Saket, claimed to have had no apprehensions about receiving the Covid-19 vaccine on Thursday. The 60-year-old doctor’s message was clear, “It is better to get the vaccine than to live with the fear of the coronavirus.” Her daughter and son-in-law too got inoculated in the United States. Vineet Bajaj, 34, assistant professor of orthopedics at Lok Nayak Hospital, also bared his arm for the injection on Thursday. His name wasn’t listed, but he volunteered for early vaccination. “With the out-patients department and in-patient services resuming in the hospital, we need the jab for self-protection,” he said.

Both Gujral and Bajaj, of course, were also heeding the call for seniors to opt for the vaccine to allay worries about adverse reactions and the efficacy of the two vaccines being used in India. As Dr Deepak Gupta, professor of neurosurgery at AIIMS, put it, “Unless the senior faculty members come forward, the juniors will not budge. We need to lead from the front.” Gupta opted for the vaccine on Thursday and publicised it on the faculty WhatsApp group, inspiring some others too to walk to the vaccination booth.

“Doctors have been working tirelessly to treat Covid patients for almost a year. It’s time now for doctors also to create society’s trust in India-manufactured vaccines,” added Gupta, who lost his mother to the insidious coronavirus recently.

Dr Santosh Pandey and Dr Wasim, both senior paediatricians at Deen Dayal Upadhayay Hospital, queued up for the shot on Thursday. “It was Dr Wasim who motivated me to come here,” admitted Pandey, waiting patiently in the rear row at their hospital’s vaccination centre. Wasim himself said, “We are around 65 doctors in our department and only if we take the lead will the others shed their inhibitions and follow suit. We all need to ignore the negative news floating around.”

Apart from the two, Dr Jasmeet Kaur, 57, head of ENT, and Dr Maninder Kaur Chhabra, 52, senior surgery specialist, also had their arms pricked at DDU — and then posted the news on their departmental social media group to inspire those who were more circumspect.

The turnout at the premier AIIMS has been lower than in many hospitals. The seniors there have already played the exemplary role. In a well-highlighted procedure on the first day of vaccinations on January 16, AIIMS director Dr Randeep Guleria looked on as a nurse jabbed his arm. “I haven’t suffered any side-effects,” he said. Dr Y K Misra, chief of clinical services and head of cardiac sciences at Manipal Hospital, has been similarly treated. “It’s been two days since I received the injection and haven’t had any serious symptoms,” said Misra, who is not only a vulnerable 67 years old, but is also a diabetic.

Many others are taking the cue from these doctors. At Guru Gobind Singh Hospital, gynaecologist Huma Ali arrived on time for the vaccination despite having spent the night on duty in the hospital. “The government is giving us this advantage as priority recipients, and all health workers must participate. After facing Covid together, we must together avail of the protection provided by the vaccine,” said Dr Ali.

Dr Ashish Dey, 42, of the general and laparoscopic surgery department at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital too decided to become a role model. “I feel this is social responsibility,” he said.

At Max Saket, 58-year-old Balbir Singh was one of the senior doctors to voluntarily get inoculated. Afterwards, the cardiologist posted this optimistic message on social media: “Hopefully this is the beginning of the end of Covid-19”. He added that if doctors themselves were reluctant to accept the vaccine, they couldn’t expect the general public to do so. Singh is, in fact, eagerly waiting to get his 84-yearold mother vaccinated.

LEADING FROM THE FRONT: Dr Santosh Pandey (left) and Dr Wasim at DDU Hospital; Dr Deepak Gupta at AIIMS take the shot on Thursday