MYSURU: Lt Col (Dr) Ashok SU, who served in several battlegrounds, including Rajouri and Poonch in his 12-year career with the Indian army, fought a different battle away from the frontlines as he served in the Mysuru Covid-19 War Room which played a key role in the district's fight against the pandemic.
A recipient of the Chief of Army Staff Commendation medal and director general, Assam rifles medal for distinguished services, Ashok feels the second wave was more severe compared to the first one.
Ashok, who was born in Somashettyhalli in Arasikere taluk of Hassan district, joined the Indian army in January 2008 and served till 2020.
He served in terrorism hit areas and part of several counter insurgency operations carried out by the Indian army. Now a KAS officer of 2014 batch, he was part of the team that set up several makeshift hospitals which came in handy for Covid-19 management in Mysuru.
Ashok joined the district's fight against Covid-19 as a special officer at the Covid hospital in the district hospital. Later he was entrusted with the responsibility of Mandakalli Covid-Care Center and later made the nodal officer of the district war room.
"At the time of the second wave, we launched a 15-line helpline which helped us in bed management, triage, treatment, vaccination, resolving bill disputes etc. Personally, I was receiving hundreds of calls as I was working in the war room till late night," he said.
"In the second wave, we have been able to provide beds to over 10,000 patients. We were monitoring a patient right from admission in hospital till discharge," he said.
"One of the most memorable incidents was in the last week of May. Around 11 pm that day, a young male patient who was the sole breadwinner of his family needed to be shifted from Seth Mohandas Tulsidas Maternity Hospital to the district hospital. The patient was on ventilator, and he needed an ambulance with a ventilator. We were able to shift him and save his life with the help of district surgeon Dr Rajeshwari and Dr Ravi. We three were in constant touch till 3am the next day to coordinate and save the life of this youth. He responded to treatment and was cured later," he said.
D Devaraj Urs Development Corporation chairman R Raghu Kautilya, who is the district war room in-charge, said the job of war room officials and volunteers was very tricky as all callers were under pressure and tension.
"Especially finding ICU and ventilator beds when the second wave was at its peak was a big challenge. Ashok simply forgot his sleep for many days when cases were high," he added.
