THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: This coming Wednesday will mark the 450th day since Nithin started helping the Covid patients at the General Hospital. His duty is to maintain their mental health along with the treatment and that too without receiving any salary. Nithin, who started serving Covid patients on March 17, 2020, has not taken leave ever since. He even forgot to celebrate Onam.

Nithin AF (33), a native of Perungkadavila in Neyyattinkara, completed his PG in Clinical Psychology. He was undergoing practical training at the Peroorkada Mental Health Centre when the state reported its first Covid case. When he came to know about the need for a psychologist as a volunteer service, he went straight to the General Hospital. Since then, he has been providing mental support to patients suffering from Covid.

"When patients have to stay in the hospital for a long time without any companions, the balance of their minds starts to go wrong. They will lose sleep if the patient in the next bed dies. They will get mentally disturbed and their fear of death increases. Courage should be given not only to the patient in the ICU but also to the family," Nithin said.

"The sparkle in the eyes of patients who are recovering with my counseling. Their smile inside the mask. That's enough for me. I will be rewarded by God, ” he added.