Highlights
- Amitabh Bachchan writes a blog about how COVID-19 affects mental health
- COVID patients never get to see humans for weeks: Big B
- Amitabh Bachchan was tested positive for the virus on July 11
New Delhi: The 77-year-old actor Amitabh Bachchan, who is currently battling coronavirus in Mumbai’s Nanavati Hospital along with his son Abhishek Bachchan wrote about how the disease affects a patient’s mental health in his official blog recently. Speaking about his experience in the isolation ward of the hospital and how it feels to “not see another human for weeks”, the actor started his post saying, “In the darkness of the night and the shiver of the cold room, I sing… eyes shut in attempted sleep… there is no one about or around… and the freedom to be able to do that will extend I know if in the will of the almighty there is release.”
The actor further talks about coronavirus and the way it affects one’s mental health and said,
As days pass more and more research jumps upon us in brave waves of newfound observing .. and as one goes through the detailed explanations and writings, one is quite astonished by some of the more basic behaviours of the after the discharge… There is one note of matter that seems trivial but it is a factor .. the mental conditions and the effects of the disease .. clinically, medically all that is known to be effective, yet very little is known that remains hidden unseen and not visible .. matters of the mind often are not… The mental state sparks from the stark reality that the COVID patient, put in hospitalised isolation, never gets to see another human .. for weeks.
Talking about doctors, healthcare staff and their routine visits, Amitabh Bachchan said,
There are the nurses and the doctors on the visit and medicine care .. but they appear in Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) units .. you never get to know who they are, what are their features, expressions because they are forever covered in the units for protection .. all white beings about .. almost robotic in their presence .. they deliver what is prescribed and leave .. leave because longer stay has the fear of contamination.
Highlighting how doctors communicate with the patients while treating the disease, actor Amitabh Bachchan wrote,
The Doctor under whose guidance the care and mapping and reports are governed, never ever comes near you to give a hand of assurance .. a personal detail of the treatment in the close proximity of an assurance .. they are on the communication vehicle of FaceTime .. its the best under the circumstances. But it is still impersonal, it cannot physically be possible otherwise, we are in remote treatment.
Big B also stressed on the fact of how there is a fear among patients on being treated differently even after they have been cured of the virus. In his blog post, he noted,
Does it have an effect psychologically mentally? Psychologists say it does. Patients after release are tempered, they are given to consultation with professional mind talkers. They are afraid to be in public for fear or apprehension of being treated differently, treated as one that has carried the disease, a pariah syndrome. Driving them into deeper depression and in the loneliness that they have just come out of.
Amitabh Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan tested positive for coronavirus on July 11. A day after the duo shared their coronavirus diagnosis with their fans on Twitter, Abhishek’s wife, actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, and their 8-year-old daughter also tested COVID-19 positive. Initially, Aishwarya was in home isolation at the Bachchan residence – Jalsa – for almost a week and afterwards she was too moved to the Nanavati Hospital for the treatment. She and Aaradhya have now been discharged after testing negative for COVID on Monday.
Immediately after the actor’s diagnosis, testing of staff members, contact tracing and sanitisation activities were initiated at Bachchan’s residence. And since the very start, Big B, from the hospital’s isolation ward kept everyone updated about his health through his social media.
T 3600 – In these times of trial .. the entire day is filled with your love and care .. and I can only express what best I can from here .. my immense gratitude .. pic.twitter.com/7ZbZauBmQG
— Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan) July 20, 2020
T 3598 – We see your love .. we hear your prayers .. we fold our hands ???????????????? .. in gratitude and thanks ! pic.twitter.com/PMMCRMS4FT
— Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan) July 18, 2020
The Bollywood veteran star has also earlier called the healthcare workers incarnations of God who embrace people with their care and fly the flags of humanity. Sharing a message about healthcare workers on Twitter, he said,
Pristine white their layered dress, dedicated to serve they be, god-like incarnations they, companions of the sufferer they, erased they their ego have, to us they have embraced in care, they be the divine destination, they fly the flags of humanity.
T 3594 (i) –
pristine white their layered dress ; dedicated to serve they be ; god like incarnations they ; companions of the sufferer they ; erased they their ego have ; to us they have embraced in care ; they be the divine destination ; they fly the flags of humanity … pic.twitter.com/kTlROPIn4u
— Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan) July 14, 2020
NDTV – Dettol Banega Swasth India campaign is an extension of the five-year-old Banega Swachh India initiative helmed by Campaign Ambassador Amitabh Bachchan. It aims to spread awareness about critical health issues facing the country. In wake of the current COVID-19 pandemic, the need for WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) is reaffirmed as handwashing is one of the ways to prevent Coronavirus infection and other diseases. The campaign highlights the importance of nutrition and healthcare for women and children to prevent maternal and child mortality, fight malnutrition, stunting, wasting, anaemia and disease prevention through vaccines. Importance of programmes like Public Distribution System (PDS), Mid-day Meal Scheme, POSHAN Abhiyan and the role of Aganwadis and ASHA workers are also covered. Only a Swachh or clean India where toilets are used and open defecation free (ODF) status achieved as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014, can eradicate diseases like diahorrea and become a Swasth or healthy India. The campaign will continue to cover issues like air pollution, waste management, plastic ban, manual scavenging and sanitation workers and menstrual hygiene.
