The second wave of the COVID pandemic has devastated India and taken away loved ones in many families. Some citizens have stepped up to take up the fight. People like Dr Deepak Shokeen have emerged as role models for society.
Dr Shokeen had not only helped save more than 80 lives by his Plasma donation initiatives through Team Deepender, he saved countless other lives by helping with hospital admissions and providing life-saving drugs. Called Plasma Boy by his team-mates, he says the pandemic has transformed the way he looks at life and redefined his priorities.
The 25-year old doctor says the magnitude of the humanitarian crisis unleashed by the second wave of the pandemic made him realise what it meant to be a doctor. “When I got into medical school, we were told that medicine is curing and helping people but you tend to focus more on building a career. An pandemic makes you understand that the true purpose is be hope for people losing the fight to save a loved one,” he said.
Like many of his age, Deepak focused on his academics and then career and stayed away from public service, that was until the pandemic struck. “I have always been a supporter of Congress MP Deepender Singh Hooda, he is one of the most educated and decent politicians in the state, and when he asked us to volunteer and help patients, I decided to act and joined Team Deepender,” he added.
Over the last two months, Dr Shokeen has answered close to 300 calls for help, which included requests for oxygen, hospital beds, live saving medicines and of-course plasma. “Plasma donation is the most difficult part of relief work. The first and the biggest job is to find the donor as only a recovered patient donate and then convince them that it would help save someone’s life. It is extremely satisfying when you are able to find a donor of a rare blood group like O negative and you can bring back hope to people who slipping into grief and despair,” he said.
Dr Shokeen now aspires to become a social entrepreneur by providing affordable healthcare to all feels the COVID pandemic has been life-changing. “the COVID pandemic has forced all of us to rethink about life. We now have a better understanding of what is important and what is transactional. As a society, we now understand that we share a common fate and saving every human life matters more than anything else,” he said.
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