Kashmir’s leading pulmonologist and COVID warrior, Dr Naveed Nazir Shah said that it was a honour for him to have been chosen for interaction with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on ‘Mann ki Baat’ program on Sunday.
Speaking to Greater Kashmir, Dr. Shah said: “It was a pleasant surprise for me to speak to the PM. It is also an honour for me to have been chosen among the top healthcare workers across India to talk about COVID.”
He added: “It is also a recognition of my work, my hospital’s work and my colleagues’ work, who put in their efforts during pandemic. Most importantly, it is a recognition of the hard work done by the healthcare workers of Kashmir during tough times of COVID pandemic.”
Dr Shah who is the head of department at Chest Diseases Hospital, Srinagar, has been Kashmir’s COVID warrior against the COVID. Since the outbreak of COVID he has treated more than 2,000 patients at the CD hospital with about 1,800 recoveries. “Our hospital has ensured more than 90 percent people recovered from the virus,” he said.
Dr Shah who has been dealing with COVID patients since last year, said: “It has been hectic and challenging time as no one had any idea about Covid earlier. Though now a lot of research has been done and there is much more clarity on it than last year.”
He said though the virus will remain in the ecosystem, doctors and researchers will eventually defeat it. “As of now there is no ‘definitive’ treatment available for the deadly COVID-19, but we are hopeful it will be treated fully in coming times till then people have to follow basic COVID SOPs.”