Traffic Supervisor, Sheela Sawant (53) was on the frontline in the battle against the pandemic. For five months, Sawant reported to duty, without taking a leave. It was in August, she tested positive and following a month-long battle, she successfully defeated the virus.
"I started developing symptoms in mid-August. As I had read about what symptoms a person needs to look for to find if one has Covid or not, I started studying myself minutely and some of those symptoms were relatable. I also realised that since I was going out regularly, there were far more chances for me to contract virus than other normal people," Sawant told FPJ.
Sawant is employed with the Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking since 1987. Presently she is posted at the Malvani depot, her job role includes supervising of the traffic staffers, drivers and conductors. In a career spanning for more than three decades, she considers the COVID-19 outbreak the most challenging stretch of her career.
Sawant was diagnosed with cancer in 2001, presently she has to undergo regular follow ups once every year.
"The battle against COVID-19 was more fierce as this is a pandemic and I became a victim of it while on duty, unlike cancer - which is a disease" Sawant stated.
"It was the support of my husband and daughter, which had me going. Alongside my family the BEST fraternity had also showed immense support" she added.
BEST Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Anil Kumar Singhal, stated the recovery rate of of BEST female workers is 100 per cent without a single case of decease.
"All the 23 BEST female employees who got infected in their line of duty have fully recovered. The recovery rate of women is higher than that of men in BEST" Singhal stated.
