Muscat: Dr. Basheer Alika is the Head of Department of Internal Medicine and the Medical ICU at Badr Al Samaa Hospitals. Speaking to Times TV, he says, “Covid-19 has been a major challenge for all healthcare workers globally. The very first challenge was the mystery surrounding the disease, its treatment and the outcomes.”
“We were not sure initially what to tell relatives, employers about the possible recovery of patients. We were dealing with a new disease and had a tough time trying to console relatives, explain the problems to caretakers in the absence of much information. On the other hand, we were also worried about how to protect others who had been in touch with these patients.”
As a physician who has seen many cases ranging from mild to serious, Dr. Basheer said, “Though we lost a few, we were able to save a lot more lives, thanks to the tireless efforts of healthcare workers all around the world. We took this challenge to heart and are now seeing success.”
On what kept him and his team motivated, Dr. Basheer says, “We created a Covid-19 response team, with doctors, care providers, staff nurses and others in the hospital. We analysed each case and provided specialised treatment. One day I asked my staff to look at a patient and imagine if they were there, what they would expect. They took that message seriously to heart and worked hard with every patient to help them recover.”
He also had a warning and a heartfelt message to end the conversation with. “Probably Covid-19 is on its way of exit. My impression is however that this is not the end. It has given us all a good lesson, of hygiene, unity and love. We can defeat any disease that comes up with this lesson. I wish everyone a happy national day.”
