COVID-19 Recovery Journey
COVID-19 is currently causing significant concern in the medical community as the virus is spreading rapidly throughout the world. From the earliest days of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was clear that the coronavirus was causing havoc on the heart as well.
Kamal Rokaya is a 23-year-old man, residing in Jumla, Nepal. He survived a severe case of COVID-19 that required a multidisciplinary effort and great patience. Initially, Kamal had also suffered from an esophagus
infection (food pipe) causing heartburn, indigestion, and other symptoms. Despite his weak condition, as the only bread earner of the family, he had to travel to Uttarkhand, India to work. He mentioned he had also faced several indigestion and heart-related problems while he was working in India and that his illness compelled him to leave India and return to his country.
After the recurrence of his heart condition, he was admitted to Bir Hospital, Kathmandu and his condition remained unidentified despite various efforts. Later, he was referred to Bharatpur Cancer Hospital for further diagnosis. Even after his prolonged hospital stay, his illness had not been diagnosed which lead him to return to Kathmandu and visit the Manmohan Cardiothoracic Vascular and Transplant Center (MCVTC) to further investigate his case.
This previously healthy 23-year old man with a history of cardiovascular disease arrived at the emergency department with severe health complications. Based on his clinical history and the rampant COVID-19 outbreak, COVID-19 was deemed as being the source. While he was recovering from heart pain, he was also struggling with COVID -19 symptoms. During this phase, it was recommended that he seek help from Jayanti Memorial Trust. Thus, with the trust’s support, he was able to access his medication and was provided with an oxygen cylinder whilst his health was critical.
Upon interviewing him, he mentioned, “Right now, I’m focusing on recovery, but ultimately the end goal is to get back to work”. He thanked JMT for providing the necessary financial support which helped him recuperate from a stressful illness.
