27-year-old Nivedita,* nine months pregnant and just a week away from her due date, travelled almost 50 miles to RDT’s Kalyandurg Hospital for a checkup and tested positive for COVID-19. “My family and I were tense and uncertainty was in the air when I tested positive for COVID,” says Nivedita.

When the pandemic hit India, the gynecology department of RDT’s Bathalapalli hospital took steps to serve as many women as possible. To minimize travel, the hospital launched a telemedicine program during the first wave to help pregnant women who had been treated in Bathalapalli and those who were suffering from COVID. As time passed, the virus mutated and infections increased. The virus came raging back more deadly than ever before and the second wave hit India with the force of a category five hurricane. 

People who tested positive flocked to Bathalapalli Hospital. The virus didn’t discriminate. Young people, the elderly and pregnant women were all stricken and sought medical help. Patients with low oxygen saturation were admitted, while those with mild symptoms were advised to quarantine at home. Nivedita, too, travelled to Bathalapalli after she tested positive for COVID-19 in Kalyandurg. She was admitted into the hospital just as she reached her term. 

©Roberto Rodriguez/RDT

In the COVID-19 ward, Nivedita was attended by a nurse, Sheela* who was also nine months pregnant. “My family is afraid that I might get infected and they don’t want me to work with COVID patients,” said Sheela. “But these are tough times. There is great pressure on the healthcare system. The hospital is fully occupied and as a professional I can’t leave now. I need to be here and help people. I did not tell my family that I’m working in the labor room with COVID patients, and I’d like to continue this duty until I reach my term.”

Sheela lives in the hostel on the hospital campus along with many other nurses. She was on the front line caring for COVID patients during both the first and second wave. “Being pregnant and staying away from family is tough but we have a great team who support us,” said Sheela. “I’ve been working here for 3 years. We were scared like everyone else when the hospital was made into a COVID hospital but our doctors and administration trained us on how to protect ourselves.”

© Ernest Abhishek / RDT

A week after she was admitted to the hospital, Nivedita gave birth to a healthy baby boy. “We knew that good care will be provided at Bathalapalli Hospital and my family and I had faith in them,” said Nivedita, smiling. “We were scared when she tested positive for COVID. We were scared that the baby might get COVID but the doctors counselled us,” added Kanthamma, Nivedita’s mother

“Many mothers are afraid that their babies might get COVID,” said Dr. Jyothi of Bathalapalli Hospital. “Infants do not develop immunity for a week so there is more risk as there would not be any immune response, in case affected, it might lead to viral pneumonia. And the mother must feed the child, if not fed, it might affect the child more than COVID. We suggest all mothers wash hands, wear masks and feed children.”

© Aina Valldaura / RDT

There are five pregnant women caring for COVID-19 patients at the hospital. “I felt happy and proud to see women working in the COVID labor room while being pregnant. Sheela is service-minded and I thank her for the service she’s doing for people,” says Nivedita. For Sheela, this has been a learning experience that has helped her give better care to patients. “I can empathize with them and feel how they feel. This helps me to understand their situation well and give the care required,” she said. 

Since it was reappointed an exclusive COVID-19 hospital a month ago, RDT’s Bathalapalli hospital has treated 95 pregnant women with COVID and delivered 61 babies and treats more every day.

*These names and identifying details have been changed to protect the privacy of individuals.

Text adapted by Vicente Ferrer Foundation USA