A 62-year-old man from Mitchells Plain, who spent 6 months in hospital with Covid-19, has pleaded with everyone to take the virus seriously and take every precaution to prevent getting sick.
Discharged a few weeks ago, Sarawat Ajam spent 106 days in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit at Groote Schuur Hospital.
While he was in the ICU his mother passed away, he missed his own birthday and was unable to spend the early days with his one-year-old great granddaughter.
Ajam collapsed on the day he visited the hospital to be admitted after experiencing COVID-19 symptoms. The 62-year-old says he is happy to be alive.
“It was not an easy time being in ICU for so long. I am one of the lucky ones; doctors still can’t believe I made it. I believe there is a higher power that was with me and helped me to survive. I also had God’s angels, the nurses, and doctors at GSH, that was there to look after me. I am eternally grateful to them. When I woke up from my coma the only part of my body that could move was my eyes, nothing else could. I was shocked to see how many pipes was on my body. I did not know where I was.”
“So much happened while I was in hospital. I am thankful to the hospital staff who always kept in touch with my family regarding my condition. The nurses would do regular video calls with my family. The hospital staff became like my family with my family.”
“I just want to tell everyone that COVID-19 is so real. We might have personal revelations but believe me it is real. I have lost relatives and friends to this deadly pandemic. Please adhere to all the precautions that is being advised by the state. Thank you to God I survived but it is important to remember that your behaviour to preventing infection is important.”
Professor Richard Van Zyl-Smit was one of the doctors who treated Ajam while he was in the ICU.
“Mr Ajam was one of our longest staying patients in ICU. He challenged us at every turn – having severe COVID-19 on admission, which he thankfully survived, but then developing multiple complications simply from being in ICU for a prolonged period. He also became physically weak which further delayed his coming off the ventilator. It is testament to the whole ICU team that supported him – but also to his own courage and determination to keep trying to keep working with the physios to get stronger and to his family and friends who provided the additional external support to keep his spirits up. It is truly a remarkable story and one which we all hold onto in this devastating pandemic.”
