Debashish collected 636 samples in two months
He is seen in the health complex at this moment, in another moment he knocks at the door of any person. He has been collecting samples from suspected patients for testing coronavirus infection for the last two months. During this time he has collected 636 samples.
In the meantime, his father and three-year-old son were infected with the highly infectious novel virus. Yet, nothing could stop him.
His name is Debashish Barua. He works as a medical technologist at Patiya Upazila Health Complex in Chattogram. Apart from Patiya, he has also collected samples from patients of the adjoining Karnafuli upazila. He left home one and a half months ago fearing his job might pose threat to the health of his family members.
He had promised to bring toys for his little boy when he left home. Since then, he has been staying in the hospital’s staff quarter.
Rabiul Hossain, an EPI technologist of the health complex, assisted him in this work. Till Tuesday, 177 people were infected with coronavirus in Patiya.
Debashish is from Naikhain village of Jangalkhain union in Patiya. He joined Teknaf Upazila Health Complex in 2004 as a medical technologist. After working in various health complexes, he finally came to Patiya in 2013.
Debashish began his work shortly after a one-day video training on 2 April by collecting samples from two persons. He had a long experience of working in the lab. Besides, he obtained information from the internet about collecting samples.
From the very beginning, upazila health officer Mohammad Jabed, resident medical officer Rajib Dey and other physicians in the hospital encouraged him. Debashish started living separately from his parents, wife and two children since when he started collecting samples.
Many colleagues at the hospital would walk away from Debashish in fear of the highly contagious virus. Some would close the door on his face. Sometimes he had to hire someone to purchase daily essentials for him from the market.
Upazila health officer Mohammad Jabed told Prothom Alo that Debashish never felt annoyed by work pressure. He never neglects his work, he added.
* The report, originally published in the print edition of Prothom Alo, has been rewritten in English by Farjana Liakat