'They are not numbers, they are our people'

New Delhi: The pandemic has taken away a lot of people, leaving behind the mourning families and friends. From grandparents to teachers and old friends, the lives of people have become mere numbers as the whole national Capital crumbles under the chaos of pandemic.

Sunil Jain smiles a little when he remembers his oldest friend Joginder Mittal, who succumbed to Covid a few days back. "He is my oldest friend, you can say he was a brother," Jain said, diverting his face towards the television.

Mitta (57) owned a retail shop in Delhi's Najafgarh. "I received the news five days back that he had died. I had no words left," Jain said still looking at the television. "He was my oldest friend and we used to live in the same area and grew up together. We went to the same school, got punished together. Played together and laughed together," he said smiling.

Jain remembers how he always came through for him. "Joginder was with me in my most difficult time and he was always trying to make jokes, which were never funny," Jain said sadly. For him, Joginder will always be a goofball who was with him in his ups and down. "During my wedding, more than my brothers he was there by my side," Jain said, while taking out his old wedding album.

Joginder was unable to find an oxygen bed in Delhi and had to be taken to a Jhajjar hospital where he died.

"I just want everyone else to be safe, I am just praying all this to end," he said looking at the picture of his friend.

Losing someone close to you is the hardest thing one could face. While there are families, there are people who become families over time. This is how 30-year-old Mansha Bhagat remembers her family doctor who passed away due to Covid-19 three days back.

Dr Naresh Hasija (61) was a child specialist and family physician in Delhi's Subhash Nagar. He owned a small clinic in the area. For Mansha, he was a doctor, a friend and a family member she could count on.

"I have known the old man since the time I was born. He was my family doctor who had treated everyone in my family. Doctor uncle, as I used to call him, was a chatterbox. He had so many stories and experiences to share in the medical field. He was the best doctor for me. He was jovial in nature. He always said I am there and I must say he made sure of it. I last spoke to him on April 7 when my child was unwell and he consulted me. We used to joke with my uncle that you can never retire and have to keep treating us forever but now he is no more and I do not have words to explain this feeling," she said.

Both Jain and Mansha said that this is a systematic failure and things should have been handled better. "Every second house in Delhi-NCR has someone dying because there are no oxygen cylinders, medications, no hospital is even entertaining anyone unless you talk massive money. You go to the chemist, there are no medicines, if there is and it's a much needed medicine like say FabiFlu, they will charge you double. The governments had an entire year to set up some basic amenities to handle the pandemic since it was never over," Mansha said.

For Jain, his brother like friend is no more, just like thousands of people who have lost their lives. "They are not numbers, they are our people," Jain sighed.