Mohan is the physical therapist at RDT’s Bathalapalli Hospital who has played a vital role during the COVID-19 outbreak, even though his field of expertise is still not acknowledged among other hospitals in the region.

He joined the team at Bathalapalli Hospital in September 2015 after seeing an advertisement in the newspaper, but Mohan’s relationship with RDT began when he was a young boy. “I used to attend RDT Supplementary School in the village and be part of the cultural events organized at that time. My mum still attends the women sangham meetings and my parents live in a beautiful RDT House. Even my son was born in Bathalapalli Hospital,” he recounts. “I come from a very poor family but both my family and RDT supported me to pursue higher education, and today here I am.”

Though he has been a practicing physical therapist for many years, Mohan says the past few months since the Hospital was appointed as a COVID- 19 Center have been surreal.

What was your reaction when you found out that Bathalapalli Hospital had been appointed a COVID-19 Center?

At first I was worried about my family, my wife and my two children, who are seven and four years old. My children always hug me when I get home, and with the current virus, this small gesture seemed dangerous, at least at the beginning when we did not have much information.

The management at the hospital provided all of us with very extensive and regular training and updates on COVID-19, about how it spreads and how to keep our families and ourselves safe while ensuring the best possible treatment for our patients. Their words gave me courage.

Why do COVID-19 patients need physical therapy?

Physical therapy is important because it helps increase lung capacity and strength. Most of the COVID 19 patients I have treated over the last 6 months faced breathing and respiratory problems, so I encouraged them to exercise to increase their respiratory capacity with things like clapping therapy and blowing exercises. I also motivated them to move their arms and legs if they have been lying in bed for long hours. Implementing such breathing exercises as part of their treatment improved their condition.

Personally, I feel that the mental health and emotional wellbeing of the patient is just as important as medical treatment and physical exercise. I was able to take part in that.

Most of the patients came to the hospital assuming that they were going to die. They were alone, scared and terrified of being in a hospital suffering from an unknown and stigmatized virus.

Which role do you play in that?

I always spend some time individually with each patient. I am not sure if they understood what my role was but before starting any exercise, I had a small conversation with them, a bit of small talk, and asked them how they were feeling. Only after that, I proceeded with the exercises. As a result, many patients opened up to me. They explained how they felt, their fears and anxieties, and I provided them with support, advice and the opportunity to express themselves. Some used to tell me “I do not want to die.” How would you respond to that?

I have witnessed how being mentally healthy and strong has a direct impact on the recovery of the person. The same way that I have witnessed people dying of fear.

During July, August and September the hospital was at its full capacity. How did you manage at that time?

I used to do physical therapy for all the patients staying at level 1, level 2 and ICU. However, during the month of August when the number of severe COVID-19 patients increased, I was only treating level 2 and ICU patients. That could be between 80 to 100 patients a day. I had to change my PPE every time I changed ward and I spent about 15 minutes each time. It was tough, but all my colleagues were working diligently. We had no choice.

Did you always wanted to work in the health sector?

When I was a child, my dad fractured his leg. At that time, my family took him for herbal medicine. He recovered but his leg was never straight again. He had to live with that problem forever because at that time we did not even know that there was such a thing as physical therapy.

For him it is already too late, but if can help others in that same situation, I am happy to do it.

Text and Photos: Aina Valldaura, adapted by Vicente Ferrer Foundation USA