Jack Tayeng

ITANAGAR, Oct 18: Not all heroes wear capes. Since the start of the pandemic and lockdown in the country and in the state, COVID-19 warriors have been rendering selfless service putting their lives at stake, amongst them are the health workers.
Working shoulder to shoulder with doctors, nurses are the ambulance drivers who are silently going about their solemn task without a second thought for their well-being and of their families.
“I have ferried Covid-19 positive patients and those who lost the battle against the disease since the pandemic hit our state," says Tomo Ete, an ambulance driver at the Dedicated COVID-19 Hospital, Chimpu in the state capital.
These warriors don’t have a fixed schedule; they work and have to be alert round the clock as at any time they are called to pick up or drop either positive patients, recovered ones or the still body of people who lost the battle against COVID-19. 
"Like me, there are many drivers who are working at TRIHMS, COVID  Care Center, Midpu and in other districts. As of now, I have ferried more than five dead bodies and each time I'm gutted by the lives lost untimely due to COVID-19," Ete says.
A contingency ambulance driver, Ete says it is nearly two months since he last saw his three-year-old daughter and his wife. "Initially it was a tough time but now we get a reliever every 15 days. We have to quarantine ourselves inside the MLA Apartment campus for at least seven days before we can go home to meet our family or relatives," he added.
Each ambulance has at least three members in full PPE. They are regularly advised by doctors on following precautionary measures and mandatorily sanitise ambulances after and before ferrying positive patients or the deceased.
"It's a tough time, but someone has to do the job," said Ete adding that his only solace is that people now have understood the situation and are compassionate towards them.
“We have seen people getting infected, those who recovered and the unfortunate ones losing their lives due to COVID-19; so I appeal to everyone to follow all SOPs such as wearing mask, social distancing and sanitization to contain the spread of the virus," he said.
Recently an ambulance driver, Aarif Khan who ferried 200 bodies of COVID-19 patients since March last died of the virus in Delhi. Arunachal too lost Sangpuia Tayo, a driver at the General Hospital Tezu who died in a road accident while on COVID duty.
People like Ete and his colleagues rendering their services in different hospitals deserve appreciation and recognition. Hope, the state government will recognize their yeoman service with state awards in the coming days.

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

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