Covid-orphaned medical student returns to duty

Covid-orphaned medical student returns to duty

20-Year-Old Reports Back At Samras Hostel Despite Losing Parents A Few Weeks Ago

Nimesh.Khakhariya@timesgroup.com

Rajkot:01.05.2021

One day she will graduate as a certified doctor, bound by the oath to treat the sick before considering self. But 20-year-old second-year MBBS student Apeksha Maradiya has already infused herself with the essence of the Hippocratic oath — serving others notwithstanding her own personal twin tragedies.

Life suddenly threw the PDU student of Rajkot into the deep sea when Covid-19 snatched away her parents, one after the other, in a matter of five days only. Her father lost the battle on April 6, while her mother too succumbed to the infection on April 10. Left alone with a 15-year-old brother, the medico didn’t bow to the pressures of the unforeseen, but decided to battle the virus her way. She rejoined her duties in Samras hostel fighting to save the loved ones of others.

There was no pressure on Apeksha to join duty so soon, looking at her unfortunate circumstances, but along with the other medical students she too donned the PPE suit once again on April 27.

“I lost my parents but I decided to do whatever I could do as a medical student to save the lives of loved ones of others that would be the real tribute to my parents,” Maradiya told TOI. She further said that while she is frightened that her younger brother may get infected, there was nothing that she could do to help people by being at home.

“I, therefore, decided to help people. It’s also my duty to help people because I am on the path to becoming a doctor,” the young warrior asserted.

At Samras hostel, Covid patients needing oxygen support are treated. A 30-year-old female patient became critical and was required to be shifted on a ventilator on April 28. “I took her (the patient) in an ambulance to the civil hospital because here we don’t have ventilator beds. I am happy that I could save her life by timely shifting her to the ventilator,” Apeksha, who treats each patient as her family members, said. “I feel so happy when I do something to save their lives from this deadly virus,” she added.

Charansinh Gohil, deputy collector and head of Samras hospital said, “Apeksha could have been spared from this duty by the administration if she so wished. But she gave priority to her duty and instead of drowning in grief, she stood up to fight and heal other people’s pain.”

Apeksha Maradiya, a 20-year-old second-year MBBS student, lost her parents to the pandemic in a matter of five days only