Teacher turned Covid warrior, Babli Rani leads sampling in Ganderbal
Post by on Monday, June 28, 2021
In August last year, Babli Rani, a government teacher, was deployed for the Covid duty for surveillance, and since then she has been on the frontline. Babli was trained for sampling and today she leads sampling in Ganderbal.
When Covid unleashed an unprecedented health crisis in August last year in Kashmir, the frontline worker was deployed for the Covid duty in Wakoora medical block.
The 38-year-old is a government teacher posted in Ganderbal. Ever since she was deputed for Covid sampling job she has taken over 15000 samples.
Hailing from Doda area of Bhaderwah, Babli is part of a sampling team that goes door-to-door in rural areas and in the selected places.
Rani, mother of two, is also part of a medical team that had been tasked to inform people about the Covid-19.
“I have been to different places for the sampling. There is still a lot of misconception about the pandemic. Some people still don’t believe that Covid is a disease,” she said.
In August last year, Rani tested positive for Covid infection. During that time she was alone and away from her family. But she did not lose hope and with her grit and following doctor’s advice she recovered from it.
The Covid warrior feels some after testing positive for Covid infection go into depression due to the neglect by their near and dear ones.
“Patients need to be loved by their family members to get out of depression and anxiety,” she said.
The team that she works with also tests Gujjar and Bakerwal communities.
“There are many who do not care much about their health. People take their own health for granted. Sometimes we have to face such people who totally say that there is no Covid,” she said.
According to Rani there is fear among people when it comes to sampling or going for the vaccination.
“Recently there was a young man in a village in Ganderbal. He was having all Covid symptoms, but he didn’t test himself and was taking medicines on his own. Later I tested him. He tested positive along with all his entire family,” she said.
Rani said she counseled him and made him understand what to do. “After ten days the entire family recovered from the disease. In villages there is still not much awareness among people regarding the disease,” she said.
In the past 12 months, Rani went to home only once. Her work was recently appreciated by Lieutenant Governor J&K, Manoj Sinha and by the Directorate of Health Services Kashmir.
