By Sujit Chakraborty
Two days after her wedding, Assam government nurse Oli Barman rejoined duty to take care of COVID-19 patients in Nalbari district hospital, earning kudos from all quarters in the western region of the state.
“Actually I wanted to join duty on Tuesday, a day after my wedding ceremony on Monday, but my friends and family members told me that if I do not perform some rituals related to the marriage ceremony it would be a curse for my future family life,” Barman told IANS over the phone from her home at Singimari village.
“If my seniors wanted me to join duty on Monday night immediately after the marriage ceremony, I would have certainly done that. In this crucial situation, service to the patients comes foremost,” she added.
Barman said only a few close relatives and friends were invited to the marriage ceremony to maintain the COVID-19 protocols.
“Hours before the scheduled marriage day, there was a huge uncertainty and hesitation over the wedding ceremony. Many of our relatives suggested deferring the ceremony, but I decided to go ahead with the plan, otherwise my parents would be depressed and their money would be wasted.”
Barman said her duty was in the emergency ward of the hospital and during the past two-and-a-half months she could not do any of the planned events for the wedding as the leave of the health staff and workers got cancelled due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
In the western Assam district nine people were found coronavirus positive. Nalbari District Deputy Commissioner Bharat Bhushan Devchoudhury, who also attended the wedding ceremony at Singimari village on Monday, said that Oli is an excellent nurse. “We are deeply proud of her dedication and commitment. Oli never took leave or never refused any task given by her seniors since the COVID-19 outbreak with health services being rendered to a large number of people in the district hospital — Swahid Mukunda Kakati Civil Hospital. She is a genuine warrior and a hope for us in such a tricky time,” Devchoudhury told IANS over phone.
He said that Oli had her “mehendi” on Saturday night after the duty hours and joined the hospital on Sunday morning again.
The Deputy Commissioner said that performing her day-shift duty on Sunday, she went home for the “Joran”, a traditional Hindu ritual where the women from the bridegroom’s family perform some mandatory traditional rituals.
(Sujit Chakraborty can be contacted at [email protected])
–IANS
