Thousands and thousands benefited from her YouTube videos fighting COVID-19: Meet Dr Sandhya Ramanathan making a difference!

By Nidhi Kumari

Dr Sandhya Ramanathan, a GP in NZ, is going to be awarded a Medal for Community Services by the Royal NZ College of General Practitioners on 7th August, 2021 in Wellington, NZ. She has helped thousands and thousands of people with her videos during COVID tough times. Indus Age speaks to Ramanathan, about the idea of creating awareness from her home to fight the virus; the response she has received and much more.

How did this idea come up to you – that you should create videos to create awareness – to fight COVID-19?

Since the beginning of the pandemic, I became active on various social media platforms empowering people with rapidly evolving medical knowledge on how to safely navigate the pandemic.  In April last year, I recorded a 5-minute video on treating upper respiratory tract infection and then in May, I recorded a 6-minute video on how to prepare disinfectant solutions in spray bottles to destroy COVID-19. After treating my older cousin brother with mild COVID in India’s first COVID wave last June, I recorded an 18-minuteYouTube video entitled “Home Medical Management Plan for Mild Covid-19 by Dr Sandhya Ramanathan” (https://youtu.be/2ZoBb-ngk5k) outlining a simple 3 step for people who have mild COVID to follow. I realised that there were no directives by authorities such as WHO or CDC, advising people how to manage COVID infection at home, especially in the context of limited access to health care or COVID testing which most of the world was facing at the time. My video became “viral” on WhatsApp overnight and quickly worked its way around the globe, empowering people in need with important knowledge of how to optimally fight this illness and survive.

You have created videos in many Indian languages as well, how did that thought come up and why?

The global response to my video was instantaneous and overwhelming, especially from India which was where I was primarily targeting.  People immediately reached out to me on every social media platform from Twitter to Instagram, begging me to get my video translated into all the regional languages of India to empower more people.  Someone commented on my YouTube channel that by doing such a service, I would become known as “the daughter of India.” I was very touched by these requests and somehow managed, with the help of new connections from all over the world (and divine blessings), to get my video dubbed into 14 other Indian and international languages (Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Gujarati, Marathi, Bengali, Punjabi, Malayalam, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Sinhala & Arabic).

How do you see the response from the Government of India and the viewers both for your videos? Share any special comment that gave you a fulfilling experience?

I have been overwhelmed by a global outpouring of love and gratitude on all social media platforms for having made this video.  Innumerable people globally have attributed their recovery to my advice. One of the biggest things my video achieved was that it addressed the abject terror and helplessness people were feeling.  Someone commented on myYouTube channel, that my video had sent a “tsunami of calmness”. Every time I hear from someone who has learnt something from my video, it fills me with contentment.  I had hoped to alleviate the suffering of a few via my video.  To have made such a massive impact on alleviating some of the suffering of millions of people globally has been my life’s greatest blessing. My online presence also caught the attention of the National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM), Ministry of Home Affairs, Govt. of India. NIDM invited me as an expert speaker to do several webinars for them with a focus on prevention and home management of COVID-19.  During one of these webinars in early September, Professor Santosh Kumar (Head of NIDM),formally requested my permission to share my COVID-19 home management video dubs with all the relevant State Governments of India.  This was such a great honour for me to feel that I had made a tangible contribution to my country of birth, during its hour of need.

Is there any other cause that you are working for?

In July 2020, I created a YouTube video with Neha Sareen of India entitled, “Breaking Down Anxiety and Depression with Dr Sandhya Ramanathan” (https://youtu.be/kM0pf5XaPkI). This 37-minute video is an extremely useful and timeless self-help mental health resource, addressing the silent pandemic of depression and anxiety.  In this video, I demystify depression and anxiety and explain how easy it is to embark on the path to recovery.  I also provide practical tips for building mental resilience, including a demonstration of the box breathing technique. This interview premiered in June 2021 on Tata Sky TV India (commercial TV) as part of a new wellness series entitled “Mind Positive with Neha Sareen.” Please watch it and share it with anyone you know who you think may be suffering in silence.

For more visit:

YouTube: @Dr Sandhya Ramanathan, Instagram: @drsandhya_ramanathan, Facebook: @drsandhyaramanathan, Twitter: @SandhyaRamanat1