The Corona virus pandemic sweeping across the world had its fallout on the health centre also.
None of us were prepared or knew what to do, how to deal with patients, what was the infectivity, transmission etc.
There was also a lot of fear and false information generated amongst the public, largely due to a lot of misinformation and myths being propagated on social media.
On the 22nd of March a 01 day Janata curfew was imposed, to which people responded positively.
The Government then decided to impose a 21 day lockdown from the 24th of March till the 15th of April.
This threw us into a quandary. How to run the health centre in these times?
Some of the problems are given below
1. Staff could not come from Madanapalle, since there were no buses or public transport plying.
2. Patients could not access the health centre from their remote villages.
3. More than 90% of our patients are from Below Poverty Line Rural families, and are dependent on the RHC for their tests and medicines.
4. Should the RHC be kept open and in the process, expose ourselves and staff to possible danger?
5. There were some confusing messages from the IMA, AP Govt and Centre, initially, which then were clarified.
The lockdown was further extended to 03 May with some restrictions being lifted from 20th April.
OUR RESPONSE
1. Keeping RHC open
This was essential, in the spirit of humanism, compassion, caring etc etc, the RHC had to be kept open.
We worked with skeleton staff, multi tasking, reducing the tests, turn around time.
All the staff were given masks as well as gloves and continuously educated on personal hygiene.
2. Patients attending the RHC
1. We set up a hand washing area with soap and water. One of our staff ensured that the patients washed their hands before coming to the reception
2. Segregation of all those patients who had fever, cough or breathlessness.
These were examined by a specified doctor and nurse, with masks and gloves. Fortunately none of them had history of contact, travel etc. None of them also had symptoms of Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (SARI) or Influenza Like Illness (ILI)
3. Fast tracking of asymptomatic patients who reported either
a. A member of their household with respiratory illness.
b. Respiratory illness in the street/village.
4. Social Distancing was put in place at the outset itself
5. Since most of our patients have Non Communicable Diseases (Hypertension, Diabetes, Heart Disease) it was easier to sort out and quickly do their tests and send them back home.
6. For those patients whose phone numbers were available, we called them and asked them to continue medications from local medical stores or from Government hospital.
Teleconsult:
We set up a 24 hour mobile number, answered by one of our staff to answer all queries.
Those needing consult with doctor were given a landline number to call between 0830 -1030 to speak with a Doctor (Dr Kartik).
A number of patients were treated this way. Some of them, however chose to come all the way to the RHC to see the doctor and collect medications. Faith I presume and also a morale booster in seeing a familiar presence in these uncertain times
Patient Attendance
Daily we are seeing about 30 - 40 patients, which is 1/3 of our normal load.
Patients are being constantly educated on safe practices during the ongoing lockdown. We are also reiterating the need to continue with these practices once the lockdown is lifted and "normalcy" is restored.
Sensitisation:
We talked to the workers, staff and workers of the Rural Education centre and other staff of Rishi Valley. We also addressed some village volunteers/ elders educating them on
The Corona virus: What is the it, why it is spreading, the disease it causes and that prevention is the key to keeping safe through the following:
a. Personal Hygiene
b. Social distancing
c. Use of masks
PHC:
We also worked with the ANMs, ASHA workers and the PHC Kurbalakota doctor in charge. Doctor Sreenivas has done a real great job of monitoring and ensuring preventive measures.
PROBLEMS
1. Accessibility: Our patients mostly come from a radius of 30 km. They were not able to access the RHC since there was no public transport. However, in due course of time, some of them hitched rides on motorcycles or sent their hospital books to the RHC for refill of medication.
2. Medicine availability: By the 07th of April we had started running out of common user medicines like anti hypertensives, oral anti diabetics and Insulin.
Our response was to lower the dose, accepting higher sugars and blood pressure levels, fully knowing the risk such an approach posed. The rationale was that something is better than nothing and also ensuring that whatever is remaining is able to serve a larger population - the principle of Distributive justice.
3. Lack of PPE: We made do with using a combination of surgical mask and a cloth mask. Double layering. Getting an N95 mask was next to impossible. We were also reusing surgical masks after drying in shade.
Some Pictures from the RHC
19th April: Resuming supplies
Medicines:
A special goods train carrying medicines was scheduled from Vadodra to Bengaluru and Coimbatore. In that train 23 boxes for the RHC were loaded from LOCOST Vadodra. These boxes were unloaded at Dharmavaram junction, about 150 km to the north of us.
Am inter district permission to transport medicines was obtained by our pharmacist.
An intrepid luggage auto driver, drove to Dharmavaram and brought back the medicines for us.
Indian ingenuity and determination always works.
PPE:
PPEs made by KPR mills were dispatched from Coimbatore in a truck carrying a massive consignment to Hyderabad.
The mill owners are parents of Rishi Valley School and made these PPEs available to us.
The truck was diverted through Madanapalle and at about 1200 on Sunday, the truck driver contacted me saying he was approaching the Rishi Valley Cross. Thanks to GPS, precise coordinates were given and I drove to the main road (3 km) to pick up the full PPEs. Will start using them as and when needed.
DISINFECTION
Using a hand operated knapsack sprayer with a solution of Bleaching powder all the common user surfaces are sprayed 3 times a day. A video and photo are given below
Afterword
The virus continues to sweep across the country. The lockdown has definitely helped in dramatically slow the progression of this virus. People have also slowly adjusted to a new normal.
However, economic activities have taken a hit all over.
In our area with the harvesting of Tomato almost over, there was not much activity. Milk production has continued in the villages with supplies to the dairies as well as the nearby town of Madanapalle continuing
Floriculture and vegetable selling took a big hit as there was no market to go and sell the produce to.
So also daily wage workers and itinerant salesmen (bangle sellers, pani puri sales, loaders in the mandi's, street vendors of vegetables/fruits, roadside dhabas, tyre repair shops etc) all took a big hit.
However, the spirit of the people remains high and there are hopes of containment and acceptance of a new normal.
Jai Hind
None of us were prepared or knew what to do, how to deal with patients, what was the infectivity, transmission etc.
There was also a lot of fear and false information generated amongst the public, largely due to a lot of misinformation and myths being propagated on social media.
On the 22nd of March a 01 day Janata curfew was imposed, to which people responded positively.
The Government then decided to impose a 21 day lockdown from the 24th of March till the 15th of April.
This threw us into a quandary. How to run the health centre in these times?
Some of the problems are given below
1. Staff could not come from Madanapalle, since there were no buses or public transport plying.
2. Patients could not access the health centre from their remote villages.
3. More than 90% of our patients are from Below Poverty Line Rural families, and are dependent on the RHC for their tests and medicines.
4. Should the RHC be kept open and in the process, expose ourselves and staff to possible danger?
5. There were some confusing messages from the IMA, AP Govt and Centre, initially, which then were clarified.
The lockdown was further extended to 03 May with some restrictions being lifted from 20th April.
OUR RESPONSE
1. Keeping RHC open
This was essential, in the spirit of humanism, compassion, caring etc etc, the RHC had to be kept open.
We worked with skeleton staff, multi tasking, reducing the tests, turn around time.
All the staff were given masks as well as gloves and continuously educated on personal hygiene.
2. Patients attending the RHC
1. We set up a hand washing area with soap and water. One of our staff ensured that the patients washed their hands before coming to the reception
2. Segregation of all those patients who had fever, cough or breathlessness.
These were examined by a specified doctor and nurse, with masks and gloves. Fortunately none of them had history of contact, travel etc. None of them also had symptoms of Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (SARI) or Influenza Like Illness (ILI)
3. Fast tracking of asymptomatic patients who reported either
a. A member of their household with respiratory illness.
b. Respiratory illness in the street/village.
4. Social Distancing was put in place at the outset itself
5. Since most of our patients have Non Communicable Diseases (Hypertension, Diabetes, Heart Disease) it was easier to sort out and quickly do their tests and send them back home.
6. For those patients whose phone numbers were available, we called them and asked them to continue medications from local medical stores or from Government hospital.
Teleconsult:
We set up a 24 hour mobile number, answered by one of our staff to answer all queries.
Those needing consult with doctor were given a landline number to call between 0830 -1030 to speak with a Doctor (Dr Kartik).
A number of patients were treated this way. Some of them, however chose to come all the way to the RHC to see the doctor and collect medications. Faith I presume and also a morale booster in seeing a familiar presence in these uncertain times
Patient Attendance
Daily we are seeing about 30 - 40 patients, which is 1/3 of our normal load.
Patients are being constantly educated on safe practices during the ongoing lockdown. We are also reiterating the need to continue with these practices once the lockdown is lifted and "normalcy" is restored.
Sensitisation:
We talked to the workers, staff and workers of the Rural Education centre and other staff of Rishi Valley. We also addressed some village volunteers/ elders educating them on
The Corona virus: What is the it, why it is spreading, the disease it causes and that prevention is the key to keeping safe through the following:
a. Personal Hygiene
b. Social distancing
c. Use of masks
PHC:
We also worked with the ANMs, ASHA workers and the PHC Kurbalakota doctor in charge. Doctor Sreenivas has done a real great job of monitoring and ensuring preventive measures.
PROBLEMS
1. Accessibility: Our patients mostly come from a radius of 30 km. They were not able to access the RHC since there was no public transport. However, in due course of time, some of them hitched rides on motorcycles or sent their hospital books to the RHC for refill of medication.
2. Medicine availability: By the 07th of April we had started running out of common user medicines like anti hypertensives, oral anti diabetics and Insulin.
Our response was to lower the dose, accepting higher sugars and blood pressure levels, fully knowing the risk such an approach posed. The rationale was that something is better than nothing and also ensuring that whatever is remaining is able to serve a larger population - the principle of Distributive justice.
3. Lack of PPE: We made do with using a combination of surgical mask and a cloth mask. Double layering. Getting an N95 mask was next to impossible. We were also reusing surgical masks after drying in shade.
Some Pictures from the RHC
 |
| Social Distancing in the Patient waiting area |
 |
| Seat Markings |
 |
| Place Markings |
 |
| Enjoying a meal after their sugar tests. These 2 from the same village traveled 60 km one way to collect medicines |
 |
| Bikes parked outside the RHC |
 |
| Blood tests in the verandah of the RHC |
19th April: Resuming supplies
Medicines:
 |
| Medicines reaching the RHC |
Am inter district permission to transport medicines was obtained by our pharmacist.
 |
| Unloading |
Indian ingenuity and determination always works.
 |
| Boss Maal aa gaya |
 |
| Medicines being dispensed - Kept in a stool and explained to patient |
 |
| Patient Comfort - Tea made in a nearby village to be served to the patients coming to RHC |
PPE:
 |
| The truck with PPE |
The mill owners are parents of Rishi Valley School and made these PPEs available to us.
The truck was diverted through Madanapalle and at about 1200 on Sunday, the truck driver contacted me saying he was approaching the Rishi Valley Cross. Thanks to GPS, precise coordinates were given and I drove to the main road (3 km) to pick up the full PPEs. Will start using them as and when needed.
 |
| Transferred to my car |
 |
| Unloading at RHC |
 |
| Teaching on how to use the sprayer |
 |
| Spraying in progress |
Using a hand operated knapsack sprayer with a solution of Bleaching powder all the common user surfaces are sprayed 3 times a day. A video and photo are given below
Afterword
The virus continues to sweep across the country. The lockdown has definitely helped in dramatically slow the progression of this virus. People have also slowly adjusted to a new normal.
However, economic activities have taken a hit all over.
In our area with the harvesting of Tomato almost over, there was not much activity. Milk production has continued in the villages with supplies to the dairies as well as the nearby town of Madanapalle continuing
Floriculture and vegetable selling took a big hit as there was no market to go and sell the produce to.
So also daily wage workers and itinerant salesmen (bangle sellers, pani puri sales, loaders in the mandi's, street vendors of vegetables/fruits, roadside dhabas, tyre repair shops etc) all took a big hit.
However, the spirit of the people remains high and there are hopes of containment and acceptance of a new normal.
Jai Hind
