india

Updated: Mar 16, 2020 11:42 IST

Delhi’s first coronavirus patient has recovered and is currently under a 14-day precautionary quarantine at his Mayur Vihar residence. In a conversation with Hindustan Times, 45-year-old Rohit Dutta recalled his experience at the isolation ward at Delhi’s Safdarjung Hospital and hoped it will encourage others to come forward if they have symptoms. He urged people to accurately report their travel histories.

Video calls to family

While Dutta recalled his experience at the isolation facility at Delhi’s Safdarjung Hospital, he said that he did not feel disconnected during his treatment which ended on Saturday. He had access to a phone that he could use to video-call his family.

Netflix

Dutta said he would while away his time watching Netflix on his phone. He also stated that the hospital facilities were top-notch and was nothing less than a “luxury hotel”

“It was unbelievable. The isolation ward at Safdarjung Hospital was not what I imagined a government hospital ward to be. It was no less than a luxury hotel. The staff also maintained a high level of hygiene – cleaning all surfaces and changing linens twice a day,” Dutta said.

Pranayam

Dutta said he used to perform pranayam twice a day. He also explained how his fear was put to ease when doctors told him that his symptoms are mild and that he is likely to recover soon.

“When I first tested positive, I was scared. It is a new disease and I thought I might die. But the doctors came in and they explained that I had mild symptoms – just a cough and fever – and was likely to recover,” said Dutta.

Reading

During the day, Dutta would also read ‘Chanakya Niti’ in the one-room setup allotted to him at the Safdarjung hospital.

He said he found the staff at the hospital very helpful. “As for the nurses and cleaning staff, I thanked them for putting their lives in danger, and they told me that it was a profession that they had chosen, it was their duty and I did not need to thank them,” he said.

Also read: Avoid panic, slow down, keep distance, wash well

Call from the health minister

Dutta also recalled the phone conversation he had with Union health minister Harsh Vardhan on Holi.

“The health minister called me and wished me on Holi. He asked how I was feeling, whether I had any problems, whether I liked the food at the hospital. He said that he and the PM were personally monitoring the condition of all the Covid-19 patients. Imagine the health minister of the country calling! I am a common man,” he said.

Dutta had returned from Italy on February 25 and the same night Dutta got a fever. The next morning he visited the clinic of a local physician who prescribed medicines for three days. His symptoms subsided and he did not think too much of it. Later he got a fever again and decided to get tested for Covid-19 and was moved to Safdarjung Hospital within 30 minutes.

“The authorities are working very hard to contain the disease. Within 30 minutes of me testing positive, they were at my house to test my family members and the house of my friends. The next day they tested people at the school too,” he said.

The number of positive coronavirus cases in the country has jumped over 100. So far, two people have lost their lives to the virus in India. Over 150,000 people have been infected across the globe. The virus has claimed over 5,000 lives worldwide.