The last 2 years have been the most challenging years in doctors’ lives. When covid came knocking at the doors of his loved ones, Dr. Anshul Goel, a Rheumatologist in Palampur, Himachal Pradesh, fought back valiantly. He believes that during that phase, every life in India was altered and every doctor made it his responsibility to save as many lives as they could.
Dr. Anshul recalls that his in-laws who stay in Gujarat were suffering from serious Covid infection. Due to the rise in demand, nothing was available during that time including oxygen, ICU beds, basic drugs, and services. When he visited them, his in-laws were in bed, suffering from acute hypotension and hypoxemia.
Dr. Anshul Goel explored the entire city for an ICU bed but was unable to locate one. So he decided to construct one himself at home, ordering oxygen and administering basic treatment to his ill in-laws. Since oxygen was in acute shortage, he needed to hunt for it daily and wait in never-ending queues in the scorching heat. Tumbling between home, ICU, and an oxygen plant sapped a lot of his physical stamina but seeing the anguish that people were going through inspired him to put his expertise to good use and save lives. “I started a project to treat and consult people for free – online or over the phone. Ultimately, all of the lives were saved, a seemingly impossible mission finally got over. It all came about as a result of the people’s generous assistance to strangers and outsiders.” shares Dr. Goel.
Volunteering to Save Lives
“When I returned home, I offered to volunteer at any hospital in the state posting on social media. A hospital in Kangra called me to visit since they were unable to find a doctor ready to handle Covid patients. In that facility, I dedicated myself to treating thousands of people. There were no beds available, oxygen availability was short, doctors were not ready to see covid patients. Hospitals were there but with no or very few staff members. I began working in their Covid ICU. Prior to that, death rates were extremely high. It was the longest-serving ICU in any Himachal Pradesh private hospital. It was only when the last patient was discharged that we were able to close it. Every day, I used to travel from Palampur to Kangra, and served there for 5-6 months”. He continued to provide super-specialist services in the remote and hilly areas of Himachal Pradesh traveling to different areas of the hilly state.
“I’ve been caring for covid patients since I learned how to. I conducted a lot of CMEs educating doctors on how to treat covid. Since doctors from all specialties were required to treat covid patients during the pandemic, I wanted to share my learnings to train these doctors.”
His Inspiration
“When I saw young people die in front of me, I was inspired by the fact that there are few doctors and a large population to serve. My reason for doing so was entirely humanitarian. In the same way that warriors must take the bullet in the battlefield, I believe doctors must take the bullet in this struggle against covid 19.”
On HealthPlix
“HealthPlix has made my job a lot easier. All my tech-related queries are easily and quickly solved by the team. My patients are using HealthPlix to make appointments with me. It’s a very useful tool that is the need of the hour and it is also offered by HealthPlix on a freemium model, so it’s ideal for doctors in every aspect.” Dr. Anshul Goel has been using HealthPlix since July 23rd, 2021.
Dr. Anshul Goel is a Kangra-based MD (Medicine) with a Fellowship in Rheumatology. He is a rheumatologist and immunologist. He has been practicing at Karan Hospital in Palampur.
His passion for humanity and the leadership he has demonstrated during the pandemic is inspiring for us. We are so proud to serve doctors like him.