These doctors hardened resolve when emotions hit the rock

It has always been a norm for Dr Justin A Gopaldas, while on his rounds in the intensive care unit (ICU), to shake hands with his patients, joke with them, help them sit up, putting them at ease and bring a light moment into their lives.

The pandemic has put limitations on it and Dr Justin, who is Consultant, ICU at Manipal Hospitals and part of the team working for their dedicated Covid Centre in Malleswaram, is worried about it.

“The human touch of healing is missing,” he says, which can only be blamed on the nature of the pandemic

The anxieties and fears of the patients are as much as it is for the healthcare professionals and their families.

“For the ICU patients, it is an emotional roller-coaster ride,” says Dr Justin.

“When they come to the ICU, they are so sick. The next day they may be a bit better and are looking for a good word from the doctor. But the following day, the patient is not doing well. It is the same sort of same thing that happens with us emotionally,” he says.

Dr Justin works very closely with the Bengaluru chapter of Indian Society of Critical Care Medicine. “They have been active close to four months. The pandemic broke out in February and by the end of the week, we had come together working for the preparedness,” recollects Dr Justin.

He had doctor-friends in other countries who were seeing cases three months ahead of India.

“There was active research going on there and not just personal accounts. We engaged with our government and could impress upon them that certain things could be done based on certain models,” he says

As soon as Covid-19 broke out, there were healthcare professionals who wanted to come and work together. “But that has changed now,” he informs.

“Initially, the emotions were pretty high. Quite a few healthcare workers got together and they were all keen to volunteer in the dedicated Covid area,” he says.

“Over the next four to five weeks, Bengaluru had remained very sterile. At that point, there was a certain amount of lull. Three weeks back, it hit us big.”

Now, that the healthcare workers have experience and they have been hearing about the casualties in Mumbai and other cities, they are more anxious getting into it, he says.

Dr Justin had seen massive preparation and quarantining happen in Australia in 2008 when swine flu broke out there. “Quite a few of my colleagues have not had that kind of experience. It’s a first time for them. Whether as an organisation or an individual that probably is going on in our minds,” he said.

Covid-19 has brought in a wind of change for the doctors as it has for the rest of the world.

“The distance between each of us seems to be increasing,” says Dr Justin.

“In our hospital, we used to sit together for lunch every day. Every four to five weeks, we used to get together socially so that people have a debriefing place, to let their stress out. That is not happening now.”

“There is no way for the teams to let off what is building up inside them for the last three months,” he says.

Since ICU doctors go through a lot of stress, debriefings are essential.

“We used to cope with the stress by debriefing to each other or finding ways to debrief. That’s what we are missing,” he says.

But personal anxieties slowly permeate to the organisation level, he says

“As a unit, they become more anxious resulting in clouded decisions some times,” he adds.

While working in a Covid area, he narrates his experience with an elderly patient. “His family wanted to know what he was eating. I put the phone next to him and I heard him tell his son ‘I am a bit better than yesterday’. His son was so appreciative to hear his father speak. That he is able to communicate, made the family calm. It’s better than me telling them that he is in ICU and his vitals are stable. Those things are likely to be less and less these days,” says Dr Justin.

In his team, around 10 have very young kids, some have elderly parents and a few are in 50-plus.

“They are vulnerable. We got a lot of limitations and the only way we can get through is by working together,” he says.

The situation that you suddenly find yourself in, he says, “makes your character, lets you reflect who you are and brings out your emotions.”

“It probably made me a better administrator, collaborator and communicator because I see those deficiencies in the system and continue to work on them,” Dr Justin adds as a parting shot.