KOCHI: A couple of days ago, nursing officer Girish Surendran received a call from the Kochi Corporation’s control room saying that an elderly woman from Pandikudy was in need of help and the mobile medical unit should rush to her home. Girish is one of the nursing officers supporting the Kochi Corporation’s units during the pandemic. The Corporation started the service as part of the National Health Mission (NHM) a month ago.
“When I received the call, the woman on the other end sounded as if she suffering from wheezing. She said her grandmother was in critical condition and needed help. When we reached the spot, I checked the young woman’s pulse and found it was above 220, which needed hospital admission immediately. People tend to care for those with symptoms while asymptomatic patients are often neglected,” said Girish.
The young woman is a mother of two children and her husband too has been suffering from multiple diseases, and hence she ignored her ill health. So, after admitting her grandmother to the hospital, the mobile unit went back and convinced the young woman of her own illness.
“An emergency doctor on call was made available to talk to the young woman about her illness and we found that the woman’s father-in-law was also ill. His saturation rate was below 80 and we admitted three of the same family into hospitals. Unless the healthcare professional reaches the spot, we will not be able to save such patients,” he added.
Until a month ago, many people lost their lives as they could not reach the hospitals in time. However, the mobile medical units could improve that situation to a great extent. After the corporation’s initiative, more hospitals and volunteer organisations have come forward with mobile units.
The Kochi corporation was the first to start such units in Kerala. A mobile medical unit is similar to an ICU ambulance, having one nursing officer, a pilot (driver) and sometimes a junior health inspector or a nursing assistant. Nursing officers work for 15 days a month. Pilots are supposed to offer 24x7 support for patients.
Nursing officers in these mobile units boast previous experience as emergency medical technicians. These units help stabilise the condition of a patient till he/she reaches the hospital, with the support of oxygen, emergency drug, a nursing officer and doctor on call. In case the hospital beds are not immediately ready, they will be taken to the stabilisation centre in Karuvelipady near Thoppumpady
A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A NURSING OFFICER
Being in the frontline is risky business. Sometimes, the praise and verbal appreciation don’t even begin to cover the sacrifice put in by Covid warriors daily. Here is what their average day looks like
8am Report at Control room in Town Hall, North
8.30 am Enter the mobile unit in PPE kits
First case for the day
(The officers attend the patient, check for symptoms, and admits them at a hospital)
12pm Return to control room
Here, they report the patient’s personal and travel details. (Meanwhile, the control room personnel processes the patient’s card)
1pm Attend the next call
2pm: Lunch (mostly a quick one on-road)
2.30pm On to the next patient
6pm The rush is relatively less around this time. The staff awaits calls from control room
10pm The last patient for the day, unless there is an emergency
3am Wind up for the day, get a couple of hours of sleep to get back to duty around 8am the next day
EMERGENCIES ONLY
People often complicate things for mobile medical units without understanding that their service is for emergency patients and are part of the life-saving team. “One day, a woman from Pachalam called up saying she was critically ill. When we reached the spot, she asked us to check her sugar level. And she asked us to go back and return at 3pm when she was free,” Girish said. In some areas, where the road access is less, it is difficult to carry a patient to the medical unit.
Neighbours also are hesitant in fear of contracting the virus. Mostly, only the nursing officer and the pilot would be available to attend to the patient. “One patient died of psoriasis after bleeding profusely and the family members came to know about it only in the morning. The patient’s daughter went to wake her up in the morning and found her dead.
The family was poor and the woman was lying in a pool of blood. In such conditions, the police or nearby government hospitals have to be informed,” the nursing officer said.
Bonny M Xavier, one of the pilots, said the dilapidated roads are one of the most difficult issues faced by the mobile medical units during emergency situations. “Since our vehicle is big, it cannot enter the narrow roads. The roads inside the city are also in pathetic condition now. Look at the condition of MG Road now, when a vehicle in front suddenly stops to avoid a pit, it can often lead to a collision,” he said.