One of the many 'coronavirus warriors' on the frontlines of the fight against COVID-19, Ramakrishna dropped everything he was doing back home in Telangana when he got a call from his PhD guide. Soon, he headed to Lucknow, about 1,500 km from his home, when his guide requested him to return to his laboratory.
On March 21, Ramakrishnan, a PhD (doctorate) scholar at the microbiology department of Lucknow's King George Medical University (KGMU), was helping his parents with farming in their village in Khammam district when his head of department, Amita Jain, called him up. His help was needed in testing samples for the disease that was spreading rapidly.
And like a soldier called back in war-time, Ramakrishna said he immediately packed his bags and even lied to his parents, who were worried like everybody else. In an hour, he was ready. He told his parents that he was going to Hyderabad to write his thesis at a friend's place. His parents were not convinced, unwilling to let their son make even the 270-km journey to the city. But finally, they agreed. He was ready in an hour. "I initially told my parents that I will be staying with my friends from the village who are studying in Hyderabad. Now, with the attention I got, they know I am in Lucknow in this fight against coronavirus. They are fine with it," the 29-year-old microbiologist told PTI.
He reached Hyderabad on March 22, the day of the 'Janta curfew' when all routes to Lucknow, or anywhere else, were blocked. Before daybreak, in the early hours of March 23, he headed to the airport.
The going was not easy there either. Ramakrishna said he was stopped by police. However, when he explained his reason for heading to the airport, they helped him get there.
He caught a flight to Lucknow, much to the delight of his guide and the team at KGMU, who working tirelessly to test more and more samples each day.
When Priyanka Gandhi tweeted Ramakrishna's contribution and commitment came into focus when Priyanka Gandhi Vadra sent him an appreciation letter last week and also tweeted about his selfless act. Hailing the microbiologist, she said they are lakhs of such "soldiers" in India who should be honoured and encouraged.
तेलंगाना के रामकृष्णा जी 1500 किमी दूर लखनऊ पहुंचकर कोरोना के खिलाफ लड़ाई में अपनी सेवाएं देने लगे। वो एक शोध छात्र हैं और अभी केजीएमयू में टेस्ट सैंपल लेने में सहायता कर रहे हैं।
— Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) April 9, 2020
ये हमारा भारत है।..1/2https://t.co/afQBmqyb1a
Ramakrishna insisted that he was just doing his duty like all others in the medical fraternity to fight this pandemic. The PhD scholar had completed his project six months ago and returned to his village. He was working on his thesis and also helping his parents in farming.
'Committed like a soldier'
The virology laboratory at KGMU has been testing suspected samples for COVID-19 under the headship of Amita Jain, head of the microbiology department, since February.
Amita Jain had called four of her students for help. Two were in Lucknow and joined immediately, while Ramakrishna and one more person were away and immediately came to help.
Asked what she told Ramakrishna on the phone, Jain said, "I told him that we need him if he can help. He asked for an hour to convince his parents and within an hour, he said he is coming.
"The research scholars helping out in testing is akin to soldiers reporting to their battalions in times of war. This time, these soldiers wore masks," Jain told PTI, adding that her team members came without asking about remuneration or incentives.
The laboratory's technicians, virologists and scientists, attendants and research scholars have been working on a war footing 24X7 to deal with the pandemic.
The disease has infected more than 8,000 people and claimed at least 273 lives across the country.