Two Ladakhi nurses win hearts in turbulent times

Majid Jahangir

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, April 1

Not caring about their own safety, two Buddhist nurses volunteered to treat two Muslim coronavirus positive patients when the medical staff was reluctant to enter their ward at Sonam Norboo Memorial Hospital (SNMH) in Leh.

Tsering Yangzom Skurbuchan, a 35-year-old senior nurse, and Angmo Likir, a 27-year-old trainee nurse, were the first response team that entered the ward and treated the two patients who were the first Covid positive cases in Ladakh UT.

“There was a lot of fear and everyone was reluctant to treat the patients. We volunteered to treat them despite our families’ initial reluctance. We worked 24x7 for 23 days and am happy that both the patients are recovering,” Yangzom told The Tribune over the phone.

Yangzom said she was mentally prepared and did not panic when she was told about the Covid positive cases in the hospital earlier this month. A mother of a five-year-old child, Yangzom said she and Angmo were home that evening when the two patients’’ reports came positive.

Around 13 people have tested positive in Ladakh. Of them, 11 are from Leh and two from Kargil district. While Ladakh was among the first few regions to report Covid positive cases, there has been no new case in past 12 days.

As the number of positive cases in Ladakh started rising in early March, the two nurses put out a nearly eight-minute audio message which went viral on social media. The message urged the people of Leh not to panic.

“The audio message was well received by the people in the region,” said Angmo Likir.

Ghulam Mohammad Chow, Sarpanch of Chuchot, said the two nurses had done a great job and sent out a strong message of communal harmony.

Medical Superintendent of SNM Hospital Dr Samphel said the two nurses encouraged the other staff to work. “There was a lot of fear when the two patients tested positive, but the two nurses did a great service by volunteering for work. They gave confidence to the other staff,” he said.

Yangzom, who has done her BSC nursing from SKIMS and worked at GB Pant hospital in Srinagar for two years, posted a message for her colleagues, urging them to treat patients like their own family.

“All of you are very well aware of the precautions and follow it strictly....Give emotional support to patients, just like our own family. It’s none of their fault or sin that they got infected. Please treat them with love and care,” she said.