COVID Times & Dependency
What is service? What is selfless service? What is Love?
Few days back we had a request to administer Insulin injection to an elderly lady! Insulin administration, especially subcutaneous is something which diabetic patients or their relatives themselves do it.In this case what had happened is that, the husband used to administer the Insulin injection. Unfortunately the husband was detected with COVID and he had to be admitted. Now, the lady was alone and since she is a primary contact, I guess none of the relatives/children wanted to step in and give the Insulin injection to her. We suggested that teach her through YouTube video abut how to administer the Insulin injection. They had apparently tried but with no success. Her sugar reading was 400 gm/dl! It was high.
Now, we were in a quandary. The request had come at 10 pm. The lady could be harbouring the virus. We need to send our nurse with all requisite precautions (PPE etc), give her the subcutaneous injection and teach her the same. Our designated nurse refused.
We did find the nurse to do the needful but they had solved the problem.
What I started pondering about is?
- Why was only husband knowing how to give the Insulin injection? Are such dependencies good? Are such acts of love, acts of service mean that we don’t teach the person to be reliant? How to balance between doing something for someone to making them do it themselves?
- Why did the children / relatives did not step forward to do the Insulin administration with full protection?
- Can a health care worker deny to do his duty? Who defines his duty?
- How do we compensate people who are willing to risk their lives at such times?
No easy answers! Eager to learn from your thoughts and opinions.
