1 o'clock at night. Saleha Begum, 65, is standing in front of the main gate of a hospital in Khulna for about 40 minutes. Her husband Aziz Chowdhury is lying in the ambulance next to her. Age has passed 72 years.
Aziz Chowdhury's two kidneys have become useless in the last six months. Dialysis is given twice a week. Having shortness of breath since evening. Saleha Begum waited till 8 pm to see if her condition improved. But he decided to go to the hospital as his breathing was getting worse. There are no people on the streets infected with coronavirus. No one is leaving home without a very urgent need. Aziz Chowdhury and Saleha Begum both live at home. They have three daughters and one son. The eldest daughter is in Dhaka with her son-in-law. The rest of the children are abroad. Helpless, Saleha Begum requested the two tenants of Khulna University, the tenants of the flat in front of them, to cover an ambulance by informing Mr. Liton and Riyadh about Mr. Aziz's illness.
Lytton and Riyadh could call an ambulance at 11pm to search mobile phones in different places. The drivers of the ambulance first get the phone and want to know what happened to the patient? Whether there are symptoms of corona disease, fever, cough, shortness of breath. Once or twice before, when Mr. Aziz was ill, he did not have to face so many questions to get an ambulance. Saleha Begum thinks that people are suffering from corona panic, a driver does not have the equipment to protect himself from the disease. So such behavior. After picking up Mr. Aziz in the ambulance, Liton also went with him.
Saleha Begum and Aziz Saheb came to the hospital for dialysis two days a week. The hospital is one of the best hospitals in Khulna. Saleha Begum is standing outside the ambulance. She looks restless.
Mr. Aziz's breathing is increasing. The gatekeeper will not let you in. With many requests, he put a hundred rupees note in his hand and then let Liton go in alone. But after how long this doorman has been out on dialysis, he has called Aziz Saheb and Saleha Begum on three wheeled easy bikes.
Seeing Liton coming out of the gate, Saleha Begum went ahead. As they approached, Liton said, "Auntie, they will not admit uncle." Corona will not take new patients at night now.
Saleha Begum does not understand what to do now. Said, Dad, your uncle is a dialysis patient here. She has a dialysis date tomorrow. Many times he had difficulty breathing the night before dialysis. If the doctor gives medicine with oxygen at night, it gets better after dialysis in the morning. Many people in the dialysis unit here know about it. Explain it to the people at the reception. Where do I go with your uncle so late at night?
"Auntie, they don't want to hear anything from me," says Liton. Corona's patient thought he was having trouble breathing. He said that he should be admitted after checking the X-ray and some other reports. Now there are no people at night. Asked to come in the morning.
“I told them Uncle Kidney had a problem,” says Lytton. I have shown the previous papers. I have also said that by dialysis here. They said okay. But the patient cannot be admitted to the hospital without examination in the corona.
Saleha Begum said helplessly, take me. I hold their hands and feet.
Saying this, Saleha Begum herself went ahead. Liton walked behind Saleha Begum. The doorman says tied up, you can't go inside. Want to eat my job. Going inside again and again. Go elsewhere. Saleha Begum pleaded, "Come here two or three times a week with your uncle." I know you Your uncle is very sick. He has to be admitted.
Saleha Begum said to the boy on the other side of the reception, "Dad, how many times have I paid you for dialysis?" Get your uncle admitted.
The boy said, Aunty there is no way. There is a doctor on duty inside. I called a few times. Don't hold back. Who will you show here? Most of the senior doctors did not come here after Corona was caught. Suddenly one or two people came and saw two or four patients and left. The duty doctor exchanges the patient's medicine on the mobile, gives the test.
Many staff, nurses and doctors have come to know about this hospital. They came as two elderly people but many of the hospital came forward and helped. Today, a well-known person walked by but did not talk to Sahela Begum.
Saleha Begum said, maybe she thought I had brought a corona patient and could ask for help. Don't be a man
