Martin Luther King once said, “Science gives man knowledge which is power; religion gives man wisdom which is control”. Even with innumerable experiments and studies going on around the world, there is still no absolute cure or medicine for COVID-19. The vaccines add a layer of protection but do not yet guarantee 100% protection. As the scientists of the world tested and raced against time in their labs, the believers resorted to confiding in their gods. This pandemic has challenged mankind in all aspects of life. For many, it is their faith that has been helping them to navigate and tackle it.
The global pandemic that claimed over 3.7 million human lives around the world so far hit India with a much deadlier second wave.The surge in infection rate began during the last week of March and on April 4, India recorded more than 1 lakh cases for the first time and reached as high as 410 thousand on May 6. Second wave of COVID-19 had a catastrophic impact on the country’s healthcare system. Several hospitals were struggling to manage the number of patients turning up every day.
Second wave of COVID-19 had a catastrophic impact on the country’s healthcare system. Several hospitals were struggling to manage the number of patients turning up every day. It was due to this urgency in Rudrapur City that Corona Sahayta Samuh (CSS), a citizen support group formed during the first phase of the pandemic, volunteered to help the local administration once more. The group arranged doctors and nursing staff, procured medicines and oxygen supply, and provided their service to a government hospital to anyone for free. Mr. Singh, while speaking on what led to the group’s decision said, “Everyone saw the suffering around them, it was high time for the society to step up and save our friends”.
The CSS Covid-19 support group had businessmen, industrialists, doctors and other concerned citizens from all over the city, who helped in coordinating all the resources and the activities within the group. J.B Singh, a member of the group, first thought of the idea when people from around the city as well as other states started approaching him for help in arranging hospital beds and medicines.“As I saw the conditions worsen and people in dire need of beds, oxygen and medicines, my friends and I decided to sit and plan a way to help,” Mr. Singh said.
While every hospital in the city was struggling to admit patients past their capacities, the CSS group arranged the 150 beds ESIC hospital in one week.The appointed chief doctors at ESIC hospital, Dr. Prateek Singh and Dr. Kalyani Singh, agreed to lead the team as soon as they were approached by the CSS group.“I didn’t even give it a second thought, my team and I were thrilled about the idea, I think it is a commendable initiative by the group and we as a team are working day and night to provide the best healthcare to our patients,” Dr. Singh said.
“Our team asked the doctors to talk with the patients personally. I feel Covid is as bad as it is because of the isolation so it was our top priority to check on each patient every single day,” Mr. Singh, a member of the CSS group, said. On 12 June¸ the Indian Medical Association (IMA) said that 719 doctors had lost their lives due to covid-19 in the second wave of the pandemic. two states recording over hundred fatalities. The first phase of vaccination in India was limited only to the healthcare workers and other frontline staff. This resulted in doctors and medical staff being less hesitant in treating the patients during the second wave.
Among the first patients to recover in the hospital was a pujari (priest of a Hindu temple). During the course of his treatment, he helped calm other patients through meditation.As a devout hindu, having a pujari amidst the patients, uplifted the team spiritually. It inspired the CSS group to agree upon organising in the hospital. “We tried to keep the patients’ morals high by using music, dance and even organised kirtan( a religious hindu practice) at the hospital,'' Mr. Singh said.“Listening to the kirtan every two weeks restored the faith in our patients. It created a positive and hopeful atmosphere for them to recover,” he said. The ESIC hospital has treated a total of 155 patients with zero fatalities till date.
Apart from the physical and physiological treatment of the patients, they were also supported emotionally. One such patient broke down under the immense mental and psychological duress due to the illness. Giving utmost importance to the mental health of patients, a Kirtan organiser helped her with her anxieties and lifted up her spirits. He also ensured that none of the other patients gave up in front of the daunting disease and became a source of positivity and mental strength for the COVID19 patients.
Being diagnosed with covid 19, potentially life threatening disease, can trigger stress and anxiety. Those testing positive must also self isolate to prevent the further spread of the virus. This contributes to stress and depression as the patients do not even have their loved ones around to cope with the disease.
Dr. Prateek Singh, chief doctor at ESIC, noted how being isolated from the families had an adverse impact on patients’ mental health. The CSS group was mindful of this and decided on letting the patients’ family visit them once a day. The visitors compulsorily needed to wear a mask, gloves and head cover before entering the isolation ward.
Corona Sahayata Samuh’s efforts were also acknowledged by the Member of Parliament from the constituency Ajay Bhatt and Uttarakhand’s Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat, when they visited the hospital recently. What started as a small endeavour to help the covid patients spread to far away places and went on to project a positive message to the society. On one hand, many people came forward to support the group financially and some provided medical equipment and food services in the ESIC hospital. On the other hand, the patients, in Rudrapur city, were relieved as they could receive the best possible treatment for free.
