KOCHI: Isolation has often been cited as the hardest part of fighting Covid treatment. Forget a bystander, even patients cannot freely interact with the patients around them. When they thought of setting up their own Covid secondary-level treatment centre (CSLTC), the collective of Sawmill owners and plywood manufacturers of Perumbavoor decided to give it a homely ambience without any extra charge.
“The idea was to ensure a compassionate approach towards Covid patients. They can video call their relatives in the morning to avoid feeling isolated. Senior doctors call them from faraway places and answer their doubts. Besides, our residential doctors provide update to patient’s relatives regularly,” said Sabith Umer, coordinator of the centre that was launched on May 20 with the support of Kothamangalam-based Peace Valley palliative care.
The facility has treated 416 patients till June 28. “Many patients and their families panic over the situation.Most of them come to know about the severity of the condition only after patient dies of Covid. Through our regular updates, we have managed to avoid that to an extent,” he said.Except for four deaths, most patients of the centre have managed to recover. “We have arranged a ‘Covid taxi’ to ferry them back home. Post-covid treatment and immunity-boosting fruits and medicines are also given to each recovered patient,” said the coordinator.
Four volunteers also help them out in six-hour shifts. “Our PPE-clad volunteers include students and working professionals. They take care of the patients and ease their mood swings with regular interactions,” he said.
The 50-oxygen-bed facility is set up at a school auditorium almost a kilometre outside Perumbavoor town. A panel of six senior doctors are leading five full-time junior doctors and 15 nurses. Along with ventilators, the centre has X-Ray, ECG machines and labs. The CSLTC has an OP ward and oxygen parlour too. Though many plywood manufacturers managed to get through the pandemic, those who couldn’t have reached out to the collective for help. “In the beginning, we were unsure about the financial contributions, but the response was encouraging,” said Sabith. Despite reduction in cases, the promoters are planning to keep the facility running, given the possibility of a third wave.