‘I am not afraid to deal with positive Covid-19 patients’- Dr. Javid Aziz

Since the onset of the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Guyana, healthcare workers have faced countless challenges, including shortages of protective equipment and insufficient protocol to treat the new virus.

Some doctors, nurses, ambulance drivers, and other healthcare professionals have experienced stigmatization within their communities, triggered by intense anguish and an often-disproportionate fear of infection.

Despite these challenges, 28-year-old Dr. Javid Aziz has been throwing fear to the wind in his quest to save lives and curb the spread of the deadly virus.

Going back to his childhood, Javid was born on December 23, 1992, at home by a midwife on his grandmother’s bed. He was raised in Rampoor Corriverton, Berbice but later moved to Crabwood Creek when he was at the age of 11.

Even though he did not grow up in a wealthy family, Dr. Aziz said that his mother had always placed their needs in front of hers.

During an interview with BIG Smith News Watch, Dr. Aziz recalled aspiring to become a doctor, he said he an interminable fascination for the human body. In fact, he relayed that at one time, he disintegrated and dissected his toys to understand how they functioned.

“There was this one time I fitted my grandmother’s blood pressure cuff around a cat in an attempt to take its blood pressure,” he recalls fondly, “as time shuffled by, my fascination only grew, and putting a smile on peoples’ faces became a hobby. I love helping people. But I also know that being in the medical profession was very prestigious, and I wanted to be respected!” Dr. Aziz said.

He attended the Corriverton Primary School and graduated as the Valedictorian in 2004. He then moved over to the Skeldon Line Path Secondary and also graduated as the Valedictorian. After completing high school, the 28-year-old decided that he wanted to become a doctor. After sharing this with family and friends, they said to him that “you would never become a doctor.”

But instead of those words deterring him, they instead motivated him to rise and prove them wrong. With no money to pay for his studies, Dr. Aziz applied for a scholarship to study in Cuba.

“It was free, and that was all my parents and I could afford at that time but I never regretted it. Medicine was tough and required a lot of dedication and sleepless nights. I was depressed for a long time; and wanted to return home so badly, but returning home was never an option… I had to study medicine because I didn’t have a second career choice and finance was a problem,” the young doctor explained.

After completing his studies in 2017, Dr. Aziz returned to Guyana and was an intern under the Cuban Brigade at Suddie, New Amsterdam, and Port Mourant Hospitals.

After his internship, he became a Government Medical Officer (GMO) at Skeldon Hospital and is now assigned at the New Amsterdam Regional Hospital. He is also a  COVID-19 first responder and a volunteer on Region’s Six COVID-19 Task Force.

“I was a little nervous about being on the frontline as a covid first responder, but I told myself that this is what I studied and signed up for, and if we are not willing to take risks for our patients, then we aren’t good doctors at all. We swore an oath to protect, serve, and heal, and we should do that with pride and dignity.”

Being on the frontline has built his resilience, “I’m not afraid of covid, and I’m not afraid to deal with positive patients. I am young, and I have a strong immune system, but I’m afraid for my parents, grandparents, and persons out there who are susceptible, and this is exactly why we need to protect ourselves and love ones by taking all necessary precautions,” he pointed out.

Dr. Aziz would have had the chance to engage in several medical outreach programmes, with the recent being in Region One, “one day, I hope to be able to specialize in the field of Internal medicine or urology. I aspire to open my own clinic with a team of very competent doctors to provide and dedicate our services to our community and give back to them. I hope to offer services that they do not have access to, especially services they cannot afford elsewhere. After all, a healthy community is a happy community,” Dr. Aziz concluded.