I almost gave up hope: Hamsa Nandini

Many celebrities are feeling the effects of the second wave of COVID-19. When actress Hamsa Nandini’s family — her father, Vinay Bartake (65), uncle, Sunil Bartake (66), and grandmother Nirmala (90) — tested positive for the Coronavirus in Pune on April 9, she immediately went there from Mumbai to take care of her family.

 “All three of them developed fever within a span of three days,” she reveals, adding that she was advised against being with her father and others in the house, even wearing a PPE kit.

Her first task was to find a hospital where they could be admitted. She called up more than 50 COVID hospitals but while some didn’t even answer her calls, others said they were full. “I even tried getting a nurse or a doctor for home treatment but I couldn’t find anyone,” she says.

After two days, she finally managed to locate a hospital which had beds available. All three patients were accommodated in a single deluxe room after she had spent six hours doing the paperwork.

Vinay Bartaje (65), Sunil Bartake (66) and Nirmala (90)

Recalling the events that unfolded during those harrowing days, Hamsa Nandini says, first her uncle had to be rushed to ICU, and later, her father’s condition turned critical after his oxygen levels dropped below 80. She spoke to the doctors about the way forward, and was told that her father too needed to be in the ICU, but there were no more beds available.

“That was the most terrible part of this ordeal; I literally collapsed and told the doctors that I couldn’t make that decision,” She had to constantly put up a brave front, even when she was told that her father would need to be put on ventilator support if his oxygen levels didn’t improve.

“The moment I heard the term ‘ventilator’ I lost it; I became dumb and my brain wouldn’t function,” she says. The doctors recommended Remdesivir injections for the actress’ father and uncle. “With great difficulty, I got it from Hyderabad through one of my friends. Their situation started improving after four days,” she recalls.

Hamsa Nandini says though she was severely sleep-deprived, she was constantly talking to doctors, nurses, ward boys and others over video calls. Finally, all three of patients were discharged recently. But  her struggle isn’t over yet – she’s now trying to source oxygen concentrators for the home, as a safety measure. If someone with her level of connections had to go through so much hardship to get her family cared for, how much harder it must be for the common man, the actress notes.

“I had always thought being financially independent was the most important thing,” she says, and shares that her recent experience has changed the way she looks at life.

“I realised nothing is more important than your loved ones; only people matter,” she says, adding that many of her friends had lost people close to them.
“I lost my mother when I was 19, so I know how difficult life is,” she says, and stresses that ‘fake optimism’ won’t do any good, what is needed is a strong reminder of how grim the situation is.