Health

Laughter is the best medicine, says caring doc fighting coronavirus on his elderly care unit


OUR NHS heroes are going the extra mile to keep the nation safe and save lives during the current coronavirus pandemic.

Today we hear from Consultant Physician Dr Bijay Sinha on how he is helping to keep up the spirits of staff and patients on his elderly care unit.

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 Dr Bijay Sinha with Senior Sister Andrea Bishop at Whipps Cross Hospital
Dr Bijay Sinha with Senior Sister Andrea Bishop at Whipps Cross HospitalCredit: Oliver Dixon – The Sun
 The consultant physician with some of his co-workers on Syringa Ward
The consultant physician with some of his co-workers on Syringa WardCredit: Oliver Dixon – The Sun

AS the consultant in charge of the elderly care unit in a busy hospital, Dr Bijay Sinha could be forgiven for feeling anxious right now.

“All 20 of the patients on my ward have coronavirus. The whole ward is now positive,” he explains.

With the over-70s more at risk of falling seriously ill if they contract it, Dr Sinha and his colleagues on Syringa Ward at Whipps Cross Hospital in East London are under immense pressure to care for their vulnerable patients.

Those who do not have the virus have been transferred to other units, but Dr Sinha predicts the remaining six beds will be used for more coronavirus patients.

He says: “In a few days we will be full.”

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I always have a smile on my face. Happy staff make for happy patients

Dr Bijay Sinha

But the 56-year-old medic — a finalist in our Who Cares Wins Health Awards last year — is doing his best to keep his patients and staff upbeat.

He says: “I make sure I am out on the ward so they can see I’m there.

“I always have a smile on my face. If I’m down or looking low, how will that make the staff and patients feel? They will think, ‘He is worried and so should we be’.

“Happy staff make for happy patients.”

Dr Sinha qualified as a doctor in India in 1992.

He moved to the UK five years later to train here.

He has worked in elderly care for more than a decade and has run Syringa Ward for the past seven years.

He also works at the outpatient clinic The Connaught Day Hospital, on the same site.

As well as caring for his patients, Dr Sinha has had to cope with many of his staff being forced to self-isolate at home because they have symptoms of the virus.

He says: “At the moment four of my consultants are off work. They send me messages saying they are getting very bored.

“We are a very close-knit unit and support each other.

“We have a WhatsApp group and we try to share jokes to boost morale.

“It’s always good to have a great laugh. It is good medicine.”

 Ashleigh Linsdell, an A&E nurse in Boston, Lincs, is helping to make scrubs for health service staff
Ashleigh Linsdell, an A&E nurse in Boston, Lincs, is helping to make scrubs for health service staffCredit: PA:Press Association
 Medics wearing protective gear at St Thomas’ Hospital, London, take a selfie
Medics wearing protective gear at St Thomas’ Hospital, London, take a selfieCredit: Reuters

And he is not the only NHS worker trying to stay upbeat.

Medics at St Thomas’ Hospital in central London posed for a selfie in their personal protection equipment and nurse Ashleigh Linsdell, from Pilgrim Hospital in Boston, Lincs, has co-ordinated a nationwide group of volunteers to make urgently-needed scrubs for NHS workers.

Dr Sinha runs an Employee Of The Month scheme for his team and before the pandemic he always ensured that birth-days and wedding anniversaries for both patients and staff were celebrated when possible.

He also organised a breakfast club, exercise group and music therapy for his patients, though these are now on hold.

He and other staff members also did a sponsored run, raising nearly £3,000 for equipment for the unit, which is known for its high discharge and low readmission rates.

Dr Sinha says: “I’m so passionate about what I do and the care I give. I don’t believe our job stops when someone goes home.

“A holistic approach to care will mean people who go home can stay at home.”

 A St Thomas’ staff member with supportive sign
A St Thomas’ staff member with supportive signCredit: Reuters
 Staff at St Thomas’ Hospital with grateful public messages of support
Staff at St Thomas’ Hospital with grateful public messages of supportCredit: Reuters

Despite working extremely long hours running a busy ward, particularly during this latest crisis, the consultant still manages to keep a positive attitude.

He says: “When I come home I just forget about work. Sometimes I feel tired but it is important to keep talking.

“Care and share — that’s the thing.”

Dr Sinha says he is lucky because his wife, Rekha, is also a doctor.

She works as a consultant in obstetrics and gynaecology at Basildon University Hospital in Essex.
He explains: “We both understand the pressures.”

The couple have a 16-year-old son, Varul, who Dr Sinha says “helps” his parents, though he adds: “He is studying but says he doesn’t want to be a doctor!”

Dr Sinha’s nomination for a Who Cares Wins award last year was in the Best Doctor category and came from the son of a patient.

 Here's how to nominate your NHS hero for a Who Cares Wins health award
Here’s how to nominate your NHS hero for a Who Cares Wins health award

Nominate your hero

YOU can help celebrate our nation’s matchless National Health Service at The Sun’s fourth annual Who Cares Wins awards.

We will honour the individuals and teams who are bravely facing the current unprecedented health crisis on our behalf.

Nominations for the 2020 awards will open soon.

 Bijay Sinha was nominated for 2019's Who Cares Wins by the son of a patient
Bijay Sinha was nominated for 2019’s Who Cares Wins by the son of a patientCredit: Oliver Dixon – The Sun

Sanjay Chandara, 54, got in touch with The Sun to praise the medic for his dignity and dedication while caring for his father, Jayantilal.

Jayantilal was a patient at The Connaught Day Hospital, where he spent three years under Dr Sinha’s care.

He suffered from rheumatoid arthritis and multiple health problems relating to the condition.

Speaking at the time of his nomination, Sanjay, from South Woodford, East London, said: “My father was a proud man but recurring health issues and several inpatient stays would leave him feeling very low sometimes.

“Dr Sinha would always pick up on this and spend extra time with him, despite having an entire ward to look after.

“It meant the world to Dad to know someone with such compassion cared for him.”

After Jayantilal died in July last year aged 84, Dr Sinha even went to his funeral.

Following his nomination the doctor said: “I had met almost every member of his family in those three years and his son said his dad would be very pleased if I could come to the funeral.

“It was an honour.”

He said he was speechless when he was nominated for one of our awards.

Dr Sinha added: “I treat every patient the same and always try to give them the very best care.

“Being nominated gives me the energy to carry on and do the good work. It’s the boost you need.

“If someone appreciates your work, it makes you feel good.”

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