Gokhales overcome Corona at home thanks to willpower

Nagpur, April 21

Amidst the grave situation of Covid-19 pandemic in the city, the story of Shivaji Nagar based Gokhale family is an inspiring one. The seven family members not only overcame the dreaded virus but showed the world how it can be treated at home instead of running from pillar to post for hospitalization.

In the first week of January Shiv Chhatrapati awardee former basketball player Shatrughna Gokhale was shocked when out of eight his seven family members including aged parents tested Covid-19 positive. However, on sheer willpower and fighting spirit they all managed to recover in 14 days.

While sharing his experience Gokhale said, “ We all were shocked and confused when me and my family members tested Covid positive. My 80-year-old father Ashok and 78-year-old mother Sanykta along with wife Alka , daughter Shalaka and brother Sashwat had Coronna symptoms. They lost test and smell. Mother is diabetic and father has age-related problems. To top all this his HRCT score was 14. We were all confused as no one was there to arrange the things for us If I hospitalised parents”, he said.

Gokhale said being a sportsman he knows how deal with the critical situation. “ As a player, the things I learned on playfield and now teaching the same to the students on the basketball court worked out for me in the precarious situation”, he said.

On hospitalization Gokhale said, “ On Dr Ashish Anvikar's advice we decided not to hospitalise any family member but to take the treatment at home. He used to visit daily at our home to treat us. We all experienced extreme weakness due to consumption of medicines. Nobody was in the house who can prepare the food for us. Therefore I arranged the tiffin from mess for all 14 days. We literally used to count each day. It was blessing in disguise for us that as we all were positive we were living together”, he said .

Gokhale further narrated that in difficult time lot of people including players were ready to help them but out of the feat of Corona infection, they didn't allow them to enter the premises.

“By watching Covid news on television and reading it in newspaper we went thru mental trauma but finally, the day arrived when our 14-day quarantine period ended”, said Gokhale.

Gokhale signed out by appealing to the people to deal with the pandemic in positive day and anyone can overcome it without hospitalization if he take proper care and timely doctor's advice.