Milkha’s daughter among the United States desi docs in the Corona fight | India News

NEW DELHI: Every day at 7 pm, when Dr. Mona Singh leaves New York Metropolitan Hospital at the end of her shift, local residents greet her with applause and cheers. The gesture, meant to thank the doctors on the front line of the Covid-19 fight, helps her momentarily forget the stress and anxiety that are part of her daily life now, treating patients in the coronavirus ward. in one of the most affected cities in the world. As she walks home, it is now her turn to give a lively talk to her parents in Chandigarh, assuring them that she is safe and healthy.
Like Dr. Singh, the daughter of legendary athlete Milkha Singh, several Indian-American doctors are helping the United States fight against the pandemic. According to estimates, 90,000 Indian-American physicians have established themselves in the United States. USA In the past two decades and now they constitute the largest ethnic group of doctors in that country.
For many, the satisfaction of helping their adoptive country in those moments is immense, but so is the sadness. The Covid-19 on-duty physicians TOI spoke to said they were afraid they would never see their parents and friends at their homes again or that they were concerned when they would visit India or receive visits “from home.”

Dr. Mona Singh, the daughter of Milkha Singh works in a New York hospital
“The key is to stay mentally strong and protect yourself and your patients. As my father would say, we are not running a sprint, it is a marathon, “said Dr. Singh, an associate professor (emergency medicine) at the hospital.
But knowing it will be a long trip only makes Dr. Uma Rani Madhusdan in Connecticut miss her homeland more. “Sometimes I can almost smell the scent of Mysore Pak, the sweet delicacy from my home state of Karnataka,” said Dr. Madhusudan, who settled in the United States in 2000. “My shifts are much longer than I They used to be, since the hospitals are full of people. ” with Covid-19 patients. It is an intense experience and can sometimes be overwhelming, “he said.
This Saturday, Dr. Madhusdan was caught off guard when residents of her South Windsor town held a car parade outside her home as a sign of respect and gratitude. “This helps lift spirits, health workers are also scared,” he said.
Fears are not unfounded. At least five American Indian doctors have died treating patients with Covid-19, while others are fighting the disease.
Dr. Prakash Sidhwani, an associate professor of pediatrics, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, was one of those who contracted the virus, re-treating patients as soon as he recovered. “My wife and I got sick at the same time. I had night sweats and pain on the threat and recovered in 14 days. My mother prayed daily, she was very stressed. She still is. Many of our relatives actually told us to go back to India. I don’t know when that will be. What I do know is that a doctor’s job is to treat patients, that’s what I’m doing. ”
The families of doctors in India are very ill. While Dr. Singh sends a photo of herself wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) to her parents daily to calm her fears, for Dr. Devang Sanghavi, director of medical ICU at Mayo Clinic Florida, the day begins with the sending your health update home. “I tell my parents in Mumbai that I take all precautions, that I sleep in a different part of the house since I live with my wife and son and I eat alone. All of this often brings tears to your eyes. I want to see them, but I don’t know when that will be, “he said.