When Dr Anita Adhikari arrived in Australia towards the end of 2009, she wasn’t expecting it would take her almost two years just to fulfil all the requirements needed to practice medicine in the country.
The then 24-year-old had completed her Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (MBBS) in China as well as her hospital internship in Nepal. However arriving in Sydney, Ms Adhikari had her fair share of struggles to get a job, having to start from scratch, including completing another round of internship.
But that struggle was quickly pushed to the background when compared to the rollercoaster of emotions she now deals with while helping coronavirus patients and their loved ones.
Dr Adhikari currently works as an Emergency Registrar at Sydney’s Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, one of the few designated COVID-19 clinics around the city.
Family Support
Since March, Dr Adhikari’s daily work involves assessing patients and deciding whether they are admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) or to the ward for general treatment.
“Initially, when it was all new for us, we were all nervous,” she told SBS Nepali.
But the cause of anxiety for Dr Adhikari was not about whether she ends up contracting the virus; it was about taking the virus home.
Doctor Anita Adhikari from Royal Prince Alfred hospital in Sydney. Source: Anita Adhikari
“I have a four-year-old daughter who goes to daycare every day. My husband has been working from home for the past five months,” she says.
“Each day when I return home from work and treating patients with coronavirus, I’m always fearful of passing on the virus to my family – I don’t worry about myself, but for my daughter and my husband.”
Due to the fear of passing on the virus to her family members, she has had four COVID-19 tests done already and has so far managed to avoid getting infected.
Extended family support
Like many first-generation migrants, Dr Adhikari doesn’t have the support of an extended family either. So, it really hit home when seeing some of her colleagues dropping off their kids to their grandparents to prevent spreading the virus.
"That’s when I really miss my parents in Nepal," she says.
I think how lucky my colleagues are, they have support from their families.
However, Dr Adhikari is quick to realise that there are plenty of migrants from Nepal who are in a similar situation as her in Australia.
“Many members of cleaning staff and many nurses at our hospital are from Nepal, many are working as general practitioners within the community, they probably have similar stories.”
Staff wearing face masks outside the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital (RPA) in Camperdown, Sydney. Source: AAP
The pain of losing loved ones
The 35-year-old is also conscious not to see herself being in a worse situation and says the anxiety and sadness she feels thinking about her family and colleagues is small compared to the grief people go through when they lose their loved ones.
“It’s normal for a person to think their problems are worse compared to others but when I see an elderly lady taking her last breath on a hospital bed, unable to see her family one last time, it breaks my heart.
“People are unable to say goodbye to their loved ones because of coronavirus and many elderly patients are dying alone.”
Despite providing palliative assistance to hundreds of patients in emergency there are times when doctors to shed some tears adds Dr Adhikari.
But, it’s not just the doctors that are impacted by such situations.
Source: Anita Adhikari
“No matter how strong a person may be, during such points, they can breakdown and it’s ok. Whether they’re doctors, nurses or administration person, it does make you upset,” she adds.
There is a large window in the emergency ward of the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. The window separates the patients with their family members and the only way they can speak to each other is through a telephone.
She describes the times when priests perform the last rites to patients over the phone and it’s hard to know whether the patient has been able to hear them.
“Unable to speak properly or hug loved ones in their final moments of life is very sad.”
'Feed our heroes'
Dr Anita Adhikari acknowledges the support provided by the hospital to its staff, including debriefing and counselling services. With many colleagues in a similar situation, she says, they have become like a family.
She is equally gratified by the support she and her colleagues have received from members of the local community, to thank them for their work.
There’s a refrigerator at the hospital, which she says is labelled “Feed Our Heroes” and is filled with food that locals have donated for staff.
Food provided by local restaurants for staff at Sydney's Royal Prince Alfred hospital during coronavirus pandemic Source: Anita Adhikari
There are many local restaurants and cafés that are struggling because of COVID-19 restrictions, despite that they’re bringing food for us and helping boost our morale.
“Such acts motivate us to do more and provide as much assistance we can to our patients.”
One thing that this coronavirus pandemic has taught Dr Adhikari “is the importance of family and responsibility towards the community” and is hopeful that people will show more empathy towards others in the future.
Her plan after the crisis is over is to take her young daughter to Nepal, a country she has only seen through her mother’s photos and videos.
"That time will come," she says.
Readers seeking support and information can contact on 13 11 14, on 1300 659 467 and on 1800 55 1800 (up to age 25).
More information about mental health is available at .
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Source: SBS
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