Covid Warrior: Meet Imtiaz who has not availed single leave this year

Ground Report | New Delhi: Covid Warrior: Meet Imtiaz; Preventing the spread of Covid to save the lives of people including his own and his family members has been a top most priority of Imtiaz Ahmed Sofi,37, a Laboratory Technician (NHM) at Sub-Division Hospital, Banihal.

Known for his perfectionist nature, he is a die-hard and a dedicated Corona Health Warrior and is among those few who realize the dangers of the spread of Covid-19 and its socio-economic consequences. He keeps motivating the people to take vaccination and adopt covid appropriated behavior by understanding the gravity of the situation. 

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Recruited in 2007, Imtiaz was deputed on Covid duty from April 2020 and since then he has been conducting Covid Sampling, besides his own job in the clinical laboratory.

After reaching the hospital at 9.30 in the morning he works till 4 in the evening or till the task of sampling is over, which does in the hospital or door to door. The Covid sampling and sensitization of the people about the preventive measures go side by side full week, without any holiday even on Sundays or festivals. Imtiaz claims that he has not availed even a single leave this year so far. This Eid on May 13 he returned to Covid duty just after offering the namaz.

”The Covid duty is a serious and engrossing task. You cannot drink water, have lunch, offer Namaz or attend the phone call in a PPE kit till evening. It is difficult to put it on and put it off again and again,” said Imtiaz without any remorse.  Sometimes you forget everything, even your family and children, he said.

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Imtiaz recalls many incidents when he missed emergency calls from his  wife. “One day my 2 year old son fell seriously ill and his mother kept on calling me which I couldn’t attend as I had switched off my cell phone after putting on my PPE kit. By the evening when I returned home she had returned from Srinagar Hospital after getting him examined by a pediatrician,” he recalled.

 He recalled that during Ramadan month he felt giddy and was about to collapse due to scorching heat and thirst yet he didn’t break his fast. (Covid Warrior: Meet Imtiaz)

Imtiaz is the eldest among six siblings including 3 sisters, while his mother is a chronic Arthritis patient and father a diabetic.

“I try to do justice with my job and do it perfectly and consider that identifying Covid positive patients timely would not only save others in my area, but also me and my family,”he said.

On the performance and contribution of Imtiaz,  BMO, Banihal, Dr. Rabia Khan said that he is not only skilful and a keen learner. but also punctual, dedicated, and hard-working.

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