COVID-19: A Pandemic or Test of Humanity?

The COVID-19 pandemic is affecting almost 213 countries, and it has taken more than 8, 00,000 precious lives throughout the world, while affecting more than 23 crore people worldwide. In our country, the COVID-19 affected number has gone high, touching more than 31 lacs, with death toll rising to more than 58000. Similarly, our state/UT has also reported a worrying figure of more than 33000 COVID-19 affected people, with a death toll of more than 650. For a small place like ours, this figure is certainly alarming. To fight out this pandemic, many agencies have come forward to help out people. The front runners are the doctors & paramedical staff, followed by police, NGO’s/religious organisations and other agencies, including small local formations. Everyone contributed their bit. In a situation like this, doctors have a sensitive role to play. In order to follow social distance and avoid human contact, people suffering from ailments other than COVID-19, are facing tremendous problems. They get medical advice online and in turn, they pay the consultation fee online, which is fine because people are happy to pay in order to get well soon. A “doctor”, as we used to call it a “noble profession”, being so, a doctor is expected to be a noble soul, down to earth, sympathetic, feeling pain of the poor and needy. A question arises in the mind; do we find such people in modern material world? While one tries to find out the answer, two types of people are seen; one does the service and is being paid for it, with no other social commitment. Other is doing the service to his best satisfaction and leaves it for heavenly returns, with an observation that “I have enough of it as my Salary”. I am happy living the way I do; why to have more money in return of my human service, while being a human being. Do doctors with such ideology need to be a saint? Certainly not; but yes, you need to be a human being in its true sense with a human heart. That is what we call the test of HUMANITY. Can we call such a person an unsung hero of the times?
There are people whom we may call the “unsung heroes”, who follow the policy of “do good and have good”. Among such heroes is a name that we all know – Physician Dr Hardeep Singh. It is learnt that he has been treating numerous patients other than those affected by COVID-19, online from/within and outside state, with no consultation fee. During the day treating and fighting with COVID-19 and the evening receiving/answering more than 100 video/audio calls/massages a day, has been his practice, with no sign of regret or complaint on his face.
The answer is yes. Do they need to be recognised? Yes, of course. They ask for one recognition or award: “pray for their well-being”. There are people who do publicise their bit of work they do in helping out people, which is fine, as it needs recognition too. But there are people whom we may call the “unsung heroes”, who follow the policy of “do good and have good”. Among such heroes is a name that we all know – Physician Dr Hardeep Singh. It is learnt that he has been treating numerous patients other than those affected by COVID-19, online from/within and outside state, with no consultation fee. During the day treating and fighting with COVID-19 and the evening receiving/answering more than 100 video/audio calls/massages a day, has been his practice, with no sign of regret or complaint on his face. This is what we call HUMANITY, and in a true sense doing justice to the noble profession.
(The author a former senior KAS Officer and former Director General Youth Services and Sports Department, J& K Government is one of his patients, under treatment of “Herpes” a common viral infection, but is quite well now with the treatment he received from Dr. Hardeep Singh online. These observations are factual, and the writer feels to place on record)

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