Ejaz Kaiser By

Express News Service

RAIPUR: Many people across the globe may shudder at the words 'Covid' and 'Corona'. But not this Chhattisgarh couple which has chosen to name their newborn twins after the pandemic.

Amid the nationwide lockdown, Vinay Verma had to rush his wife Preeti to the Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar Memorial Hospital here, where she gave birth to a boy and a girl.

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“Both the mother and newborn babies are doing fine. The infants weigh 2.9 kg and 2.7 kg. A team of doctors and medical staff performed a caesarean section on her after she complained of labour pain and complications,” said Shubhra Singh, a public relations officer at the hospital.

“We couldn’t find any vehicle and faced a tense and challenging moment. My husband took me to the hospital on his motorcycle. It was around midnight and we were stopped at various check-points raised by the traffic police,” Preeti, a resident of Purani Basti in Raipur, told TNIE.



On why they chose to name their babies after a pandemic, she said, “There is a lot of apprehension nowadays regarding COVID-19. We wished to ease the anxiety and fear associated with these words and also make the occasion memorable. So, I and my husband took an instant decision to name our twins Covid (boy) and Corona (girl),” she explained with a smile.

The couple hailing from Uttar Pradesh were gripped with anxiety since none of their relatives could arrive in Raipur at this crucial moment as all trains and other means of transport remain cancelled.

The Vermas initially consulted a private nursing home but later reposed their trust in government health facilities for further medical attention and delivery. “We realised that the doctors, paramedical team and healthcare facilities at Ambedkar hospital are par excellence,” said Preeti.