Kerala: Young Nurse Serves COVID-19 Patients In ICU Without Pay

Amid coronavirus crisis when family members can't visit hospitalised patients, nurses are the saviours in quarantine. One such frontline healthcare worker is this young nurse PR Shiji from Thrissur in Kerala who braved it all as she spends her days caring for COVID-19 patients. Putting her own life at risk, Shiji is ​fulfilling a commitment as a volunteer staff nurse to serve in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the Government Medical College in Thrissur, Kerala, Mumbai Mirror reported.

She lost her father at an early age. Brought up by her mother, Shiji is currently working as an intern and does not get any salary or any other allowance from the hospital.

Key Takeaways:

• Volunteer staff nurse P R Shiji from Thrissur serves in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the Government Medical College in Thrissur, Kerala, without a salary.
• Shiji says that she takes care of the patients like she would her parents.
• The 22-year-old has completed BSc Nursing from a private college and served in a private hospital for four months before joining the Thrissur Medical College in June last year.

​The 22-year-old has completed BSc Nursing from a private college told the Mirror that serves without being paid any salary or allowance at the hospital. Previously, she worked in a private hospital for four months. She then volunteered to join the Thrissur Medical College in June last year but till now Shiji is not getting paid for her work at the government hospital.

Working for a government hospital was a choice that Shiji made. Even after many volunteers quit coming to the COVID-19 ward Shiji continued. Soon after the outbreak when ​patients started to flood the hospital Shiji felt responsible and carried on with the good deed. Working with COVID-19 patients who were first admitted to the ICU before they were shifted to the isolation ward, the young woman believes she has learnt a lot about medical emergencies.

"Most of the patients I dealt with were unconscious," she said. Once their condition improved they were shifted to the isolation ward.

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Background

Shiji is the only daughter born to her father Rajan, who passed away when she was 12. Her mother works as a daily-wager. Together they barely survive with her mother’s minimum income.

Shiji is under home observation for seven days now and she will report for duty once the observation period ends.

Shiji is entitled to pay a fixed amount to the hospital for her training as an intern. Talking about not having a salary at the end of the month even though she works as hard as any salaried staff, Shiji says that she takes care of the patients like she would her parents.

A hopeful Shiji wants to join a good firm after completing her training in Thrissur Medical College.  Her training period will end on May 31.

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Feature Image Credit: Mumbai Mirror

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