Sri Lankan Medics Overseas: Battling On The Frontline Against Coronavirus

The novel Coronavirus pandemic erupted around the world with an absolute fury. Countries such as the USA, UK, Italy, and Spain are amongst the worst affected. Many hospitals were caught on the back foot with little or no preparation on how to deal with this mysterious virus. Hospitals saw usual admissions decline as patient after patient with Coronavirus symptoms were admitted and while each hospital became vast COVID-19 units, in some countries like the UK, convention centres were transformed in record time to massive hospitals to deal with the growing influx of COVID-19 patients.

- Tina Edward Gunawardhana

Amongst the thousands of medical personnel ranging from doctors and nurses dealing with the chaos in the wake of this pandemic, there are many Sri Lankans across the world working on the frontline valiantly battling to save the lives of those infected with Coronavirus.

In the USA, New York has been hit particularly hard with the death rate in its thousands and infected figures rising rapidly. Local businesses have closed leaving deserted streets and all focus is on the hospitals. When the tests became sporadically available, people watched as their colleagues in ones and twos tested “positive” for the novel Coronavirus. Realisation dawned then that going forward the world would have a new BC and AC (Before and After COVID-19) to define history.

Speaking to Dr. Aruna Milinda Seneviratne an Associate Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at the Mount Sinai Health System in Manhattan Metro he explained that New York comprises a population of 21,045,000 with 225,234 confirmed COVID-19 cases to date with 17,815 deaths.