Brave nurse fights back infection, resumes duties

Bengaluru: "My family cried and wept inconsolably after I was tested positive for Covid-19. My husband and two sons were terrified. Since I am a nurse, they asked me not to report to duties even after recovering from the infection," Mamtaz Begum, a senior procedure coordinator at Manipal Hospital, said.

The 47-year-old nurse from Manipal Hospital in Old Airport Road resumed work just days after she recovered from the deadly infection. The nurse, on Covid duty, was tested positive on July 25. She caught the infection while taking care of the infected patients in the hospital. Subsequently, she got admitted in the same hospital where she was working as senior procedure coordinator. She was later discharged from the hospital after completely recovering from the infection and resumed duties on August 15.

Manipal Hospital made Mamtaz unfurl the national Tricolour on the 74th Independence Day on August 15 on the premises along with other Corona Warriors fighting the virus. "Colleagues like Mamtaz are a huge inspiration for all of us. They put their duty and patients before themselves. I'm glad that she got her indepedence from Covid and there is no one better than her to hoist the flat on August 15. She is a huge inspiration to the staff here," Deepak Venugopalan, regional COO, Bengaluru & TNN cluster, MHEPL said.

Mamtaz, who has been working with Manipal Hospital for the last 26 years, had undergone a kidney transplant in 2017 after she was diagnosed with damaged renal system and had been on immune suppressants since. "The immune suppressants had triggered diabetes. So, diabetes was another co-morbidity, but thankfully Dr Neha Mishra and Dr Ranjit Mohan who treated me for Covid-19 took very good care of me. Dr M S Vishawanath, nephrologist, thoroughly checked for any kidney related issues while Dr Karthik Prabhkar, diabelologist monitored my diabetes profile," she said. Mamtaz Begum gave the credit of her recovery to her husband Mohammad Muneer, two sons and the entire medical staff for their positive approach while dealing with the virus.

"My family was worried. I had undergone kidney transplant. I wasn't worried about Covid so much. I am strong willed person. For someone who had undergone kidney transplant, I thought corona was nothing. I have a lovely husband and two adorable sons. I used to eat and sleep well. We have a nice jovial atmosphere at home although there were some tense moments when I was tested positive," Mamtaz Begum told The Hans India over the phone.

Mamtaz has a 21-year-old son Mohammad Nadeem who is pursuing diploma in mechanical engineering from MVJ College of Engineering, and 18-year-old Mohammed Kaif, who is studying BCom from New Horizon College in Bengaluru.

"The hospital staff stood rock solid behind me. Dr Manish Ray, Dr Suneeta Bhat, nursing superintendent Judith, deputy nursing superintendent Shanta Kumari and chief operating officer Deepak Venugopalan would constantly call me to find out my medical condition," she said. Mamtaz Begum's family was originally from Chittoor. She was initially Nandini Naidu before she married Mohammad Muneer. Her father Jayaram Naidu hailed from Chittoor, while mother Krishnaveni was from Nellore. Mamtaz Begum works in five different shifts - 8 am to 4pm, 9am to 5pm, 10 am to 6pm and 12 noon to 8pm. She lives near Old Airport Road, in a walking distance of about 30 minutes from Manipal Hospital. "When I finish work at 5 pm, I walk back home. My husband drops me in the morning," she said. That possibly explains her good health condition. What also kept her healthy was a dose of Allu Arjun's movies. "I watch a lot of his films. I like his dance moves. I watch a lot of Telugu movies," she said.