Corona Warriors - Part 1

Away from public eye, they're a band of corona warriors who are doing their might in the war against COVID-19 pandemic. I will bring you few who are incredible human beings.

Dr. Annapurna Devi

An octogenarian doctor from Bhubaneswar, her life is one of service to mankind and to nature. When she got her promotion and was to leave headquarters, she resigned preferring to stay with her young daughters. Not one to sit idle, started a clinic in the garage. Her dedication led to it becoming the No. 1 nursing home in Bhubaneswar. Money was never a priority. Service and cleanliness was. Chief Secretary of Odisha was treated with the same courtesy as street vendors. While the affluent paid, the rest walked out getting full services, gifting 250 gms. of ghee or 6 stainless steel glasses!!

When she heard emergency workers are getting infected while attending COVID-19 patients, she took out her sewing machine. With leonine zeal is stitching two layered facemasks for BMC sanitation

workers, street vendors and hospital staff. 117 already stitched!! Weak eyesight and rheumatoid arthritis are weak opponents to her commitment to a cause!

Yes, she is my inspiration and my mother, DR. ANNAPURNA DEVI. She always set the bar high for us - top the list, why come second; a gold medal is good but house work is equally important; perfection is God. And the voice in my head - help others, laziness is sin, never say no to work, always be content, walk with your head held high. From a very young age she instilled in us, a yearning to help others, an attitude that "Bou" shaped her and our life around. As a doctor she always worked long hours but returned home with a smile, though tired, and reminded us - to give is better than to receive.

With Raya and Munni

117 masks and going on

A busy medical practitioner she never made the family ever feel her tiredness or hectic schedule. There had always been time to attend our school functions, stitch all our clothes, knit my father’s sweaters, infact of us all, tend to our garden; to every day cooking, cleaning and pampering visiting relatives. There were rarely days when we did not have guests for lunch/dinner and there was never shortage of food. Anu-Prasant, my mom and dad, were an amazing couple. In their little froggy, ORP4811, were panacea to everyone's, every kind of situation - marriage, death, social function, religious function, childbirth, illness, theft, accident, or just a get together!!

BOU - ONE INCREDIBLE HUMAN BEING!