Love and hope are vaccine for COVID-19

At 38 Thane resident and mother of two Samisha Markande has become a new mother again only this timemdashit is for a social cause This is the story of two mothersmdashstrangers in the same city united by the euphoria of love for a newborn girlMNS Thane President Avinash Jadhav arranged for Vaishali Lahori a pregnant woman from Kasheli in Thane to deliver her baby at Dr Datta Panandikars hospital in Uthalsar Thane She had been hunting for hospitals and her plight was highlighted when Samaritan Mangesh Joshi appealed for help on videoA day later the infant had to be kept away from her mother because the chances of Lahori contracting the virus during her rounds at both Civil and Shivaji hospitals in Thane and Nair Hospital in Mumbai were high For a day the child was kept at Mala Hospital on Ghodbunder RoadDr Datta PanandikarMarkande Maharashtra Navnirman Senas womens wing city president was quick to volunteer to be a foster mother for the dayold baby girl She brought her home to a traditional Maharashtrian welcome with an aarti Since then Ive been scurrying to the market to get her new clothes a basket and bibs Her mother is recuperating and the father is quarantined someone needed to look after her My daughter is 19 and my son is 15 years old Its been a while since I was a mother to a newborn but motherhood is instinctive Besides wellwishers have been calling with suggestions and advise I am glad Vaishali has put her trust in us says MarkandeLahori hasnt still seen the baby because she doesnt have a smartphone but does get on a call with Markande to check on her babys health Her husband Sanju Lahori is a rickshaw driver and is grateful that both Jadhav and Markande have got him out of this difficult time Ill forever be indebted he saysMarkandes family has been pitching in Were all on our toes as this cause comes with an added responsibility of handling another life Weve consulted a paediatrician for medicines and vaccines and a masseuse has been hired to ensure the massage and bathing is done daily Were extra cautious about sanitisation since infants have a weak immune system says MarkandeIn very little time the girl has stolen everyones hearts but the family knows this is only a shortterm arrangementObstetrics and gynaecology specialist Dr Datta Panandikar says One can keep the baby with the mother provided she is motivated and educated to maintain very good hand hygiene wear a face mask and a shield regularly and follow social distancing Yet sometimes as a precautionary measure we do prefer to keep the child away from the infected mother for at least five or six days In her family there was no female member and hence we shifted the child to NICU for a day before Markande volunteered to take care of the child In addition Dr Panandikar feels that since the virus is new and causes death in three to four per cent of cases theres a fear among people Despite being four months into the pandemic there is still very little awareness regarding the virus at the grassroot level When a patient comes to us we counsel them on taking proper care and explain that once they become negative they wouldve developed antibodies in their blood that will protect them from the virus even if a second wave comes Its a boon in disguise Of the number of positive patients who have delivered in the city a negligible number of babies have been born with the virus Of the 150 deliveries done by Dr Panandikar since March none of the babies tested positive at birthPrecautions for mothers to takeWhen pregnant and testing positive If theres a room with an attached toilet go for home quarantine If not every municipal corporation has a medical officer who you must contact They keep the pregnant woman in a quarantine centre till she enters labour Once she has delivered she can go back to the quarantine centreAfter delivery Follow social distancing wear a mask and wash your hands regularly It is a simple cure but many fail to follow itCatch up on all the latest Mumbai news crime news current affairs and a complete guide from food to things to do and events across Mumbai Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates MidDay is now on Telegram Click here to join our channel middayinfomedialtd and stay updated with the latest news