Madhur Matta is a Melbourne-based healthcare professional who worked as a full-time nurse at an ICU ward for some years, before taking up another job in medical sales.
But as soon as the COVID-19 crisis struck Australian shores, he went back to working part-time as an ICU nurse, which he says has been a hugely rewarding experience.
“I had to undergo special training to work in the ICU again in the current circumstances – learning the new safety protocols, how to wear the PPE (personal protective equipment) correctly and more importantly, how to respond to repeated queries from worried family members".
According to Mr Matta, most COVID-19 patients he treated were people above the age of 50 and had recently returned from overseas.
Source: Supplied
But was it not scary to enter ‘ground zero’ to treat patients at a time when most people were going to great lengths to avoid contact with any potential case of COVID-19?
“Well, this is ingrained in health professionals like us. We take the (Hippocratic) oath when we enter this field, and our goal is to help the patients get well. It’s comparable to a situation if your parent becomes ill – you don’t abandon them at such a time, you look after them as best as you can,” he said.
Born and brought up in Punjab, Mr Matta had seen family members running a charitable hospital in Beas. So “nursing patients back to health” was a reality he had grown up with, and felt like the natural thing to do during the coronavirus outbreak.
Yet there were many personal sacrifices to be made this time around.
“The most difficult thing was not being able to see or touch my newborn daughter for these months, since I simply can’t risk passing on the infection to her,” he admits.
Mr Matta and his wife were blessed with a daughter three months ago, and balancing that with his work as a health professional has been the biggest challenge for him.
Madhur in the ICU Source: Supplied
“As a new father, not being able to touch or hold my Guddi (doll) for over two months has been really difficult. Every time I leave work and come home, I have to isolate myself. I want to take every precaution that I can – my wife leaves the food for me outside the door and I try to avoid any contact.”
But all in all, he says working in the ICU is a rewarding experience, and something he is really passionate about “because of the inner joy you feel when family members thank you from the bottom of their heart when their loved one recovers.”
“I just hope one day my daughter is also proud of me and of the work I have done.”
Click on the player above to listen to the interview in Punjabi.
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