Mysore/Mysuru: “We are risking our lives to treat Corona positive patients for which we don’t regret. But the society must treat us with respect,” observed M. Manjunath, a Staff Nurse at Talakad Community Health Centre (CHC). He also works as a Professor at a Nursing College in Mysuru.

He has been serving at Talakad CHC for the last 11 years. “Initially, I was scared to work among Covid patients. During the first wave I was posted to T. Narasipur Covid Care Centre. The intensity of COVID-19 pandemic was less in the first wave but it was more in the second wave. Some patients were coming to the Centre with low oxygen level and died despite giving them oxygen. Many a times, youths succumbed to the virus and it pained me a lot,” he said.

“I worked for two years at a Nursing College in Mysuru. After doing B.Sc Nursing course, I was selected as a Staff Nurse and posted to Talkad. As Professors, we prepare hundreds of Nurses who in turn save lives of thousands of people. This gives us utmost satisfaction. I feel happy to work as a Nurse and serve patients. I have received the ‘19th Karnataka State-Level Florence Nightingale Nurses Award’ from the then Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa for completing a decade in rural service and working 24×7 during floods,” Manjunath said.

The country faced second wave of the pandemic due to negligence of people. Unfortunately, more number of youths succumbed to virus this time. People must strictly follow the safety norms before going out, he advised.