Unique Dussehra celebration at ICU

Dussehra Pooja

One of my favourite yearly events in the ICU goes like this. It has been a great tradition to worship the instruments and equipment in the ICU on the occasion of Dusshera like Shastra Pujan (शस्त्र पूजन).

Dr. Sharad Yadav performing Dussehra pooja with ICU team

While we perform rituals to honour our equipment and apparatus which is used for extending our professional services to our patients , we pray, may our means and efforts be honest, pure and with up to date functionality and knowledge when we treat our patients ! 

For ICU it is not a holiday but celebration of our work ethics. Even though it was COVID times, Dusshera 2020 was not an exception, having pooja with "all precautions".

Dnyan (ज्ञान) - Initiation on the path to Knowledge

Many of our staff were away from families and home for months on end since COVID started. Physical distance from the families could not stop us from being a great big family working day in and day out in critical care areas. On the day of Dusshera there was a surprise waiting for me in my office.

A small bright child of two and a half years, waiting for  something very important to happen in his life.

"Dnyan (ज्ञान)" (son of Dinesh,  nursing incharge of our ICU, who hails from Kerala),  was eagerly waiting for his Vidyarambham (विद्यारंभम) ! 

I was so touched to be with him and his parents, to hold his tiny hand and write in rice grains his first letters "Shri Ganeshay Namah (श्री गणेशाय नमः)" ! I was full of joy to initiate him on his path of exploration of Dnyan (ज्ञान).

Gift of Saraswati (सरस्वती)

There was an unexpected gift on my way from a dear friend Manju, depicting "Saraswati (सरस्वती)". It was done beautifully ! 

New normal begins

We all were reviewing the situation of CORONA in last few days, realising the regressing curve in Pune, Maharashtra and India. Hospitals were closing COVID wards. Ultimately  our ICU had some vacant beds after the tumultuous six months !!  It was a great moment to announce with great deliberation that we are going to close one of the COVID ICUs, to restart non covid aka "normal" ICU!  Everyone rejoiced .

Of Course, we should not let the guard down. The last thing we want is a second wave.

Be aware, be safe !