When Kashmir reported its first Covid positive case in March last year, Tabasum Ara was posted in the immunization ward of district hospital Pulwama.
Instead of having any second thoughts or inhibitions as the Covid fear had gripped the entire world, the 29-year-old nurse took it as a challenge and delivered her professional duties with utmost honesty, which usually meant dealing with Covid positive patients also.
Since Tabasum was doing immunization of children, in the later months, her ward started receiving Covid positive mothers also and the nurse received them with kindness.
“Besides, doing my professional duties, I was also trying to make these pregnant mothers feel comfortable as they were very scared. They were scared regarding their own safety and most importantly regarding the safety of their unborn child,” she recalled.
When Covid vaccination started in January this year, the frontline warrior Tabasum was tasked to do the vaccination in medical block Pulwama and since then she has vaccinated more than 7000 people in the block by going door to door.
Hailing from Payer village of Pulwama, apart from vaccination, she is also the part of a surveillance team in the block.
“When Covid started the first thought that came to my mind was that I have to work for the people. I have not taken a single leave since March 2020,” Tabasum said.
“I have been there since then. I have to deal with 20 ASHAs and work with them. I have to manage 5-6 reports in a day,” she said.
Tabasum was posted as a nurse in 2010 under National Health Mission and over the past five years she has been working in the Pulwama hospital.
“Since the vaccination started I have been going to far off places. Even during the month of Ramadan, I was going door to door to vaccinate people above the 45 age group,” she said.
She has vaccinated the health care workers by going to their homes. In the early stages of the vaccination drive, she was so busy that she used to reach her home at 8 pm.
“When Covid started I wasn’t scared. I never fear as I know I have to do a more important thing, which is helping patients. I work for the cause of humanity,” she said.
During the Covid lockdown, Tabasum brought a two wheeler (scooty) so that she can easily commute and reach her assigned posting on time.
Recently her family including her ailing mother tested positive for Covid. “It was difficult but I managed. I took care of my family members and my routine duty as well,” she said.
Her work has also been appreciated by the Director Health Services Kashmir, Dr Mushtaq Ahmad Rather for her extraordinary work commitment during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Vouching for her work, a spokesperson, Director Health Services Kashmir said, “Tabasum’s work has been appreciated by all including the top government officials. She is an inspiration for health care workers.”
Deputy Medical Superintendent, DH Pulwama, Dr Mir Mushtaq, said Tabasum has been an extraordinary worker from the day one of the pandemic and has been on the forefront in terms of vaccination, surveillance and other Covid related functioning in the hospital.
“She has been very polite, humble and very affectionate with the patients. Till date she has been an extraordinary worker. We are proud of such employees who not only do tremendous work but also outshine the name of the institution as well,” he said.