During last 50 years of its existence, Vivekanand Hospital has always taken lead inproviding medical help to the victims of natural calamities and epidemics. Theinstitute had remained in the forefront while providing relief services and medical help to the earthquake affected people of Killari and the flood victims in various parts of our country. We have always served all sections of our society without any discrimination.
As we all know, onslaught of ‘Covid Pandemic’ has taken a heavy toll on the entire Health infrastructure of our country. During this pandemic, due to extremely high infectivity of the virus, the health services in the metropolitan cities and small towns have literally collapsed.
In this critical situation, Vivekanand Hospital came forward and decided to share little part of the responsibility of caring ‘COVID’ patients in and around Latur city. Sensing the situation and seeing the rising number of serious patients, hospital authorities took a bold decision to set up a seperate, ideally equipped and scientifically managed, 45 beded ‘Covid Care Centre’ in a separate building, in vicinity of the main hospital building.
To set up a ‘Covid Care Centre’ is a Herculean task. With the help of our dedicated doctors, skilled paramedical staff and committed administrative staff, we could successfully start the state of the art ‘Covid Care Cenre’ within a small period of 1 week. The centre is optimally equipped with all necessary gadgets including equpments required in intensive care unit e.g. multipara monitors, ventilators, defibrilators etc. This centre has backup of efficient laboratory, CT, MRI and dialysis facilities. The HFNO system has recently been added and the plasma therapy is in the pipeline. The centre maintains enough stock of vital drugs, like Ramdesivir, Favipiravir and Tocilizumab. All precautions are being taken and standard protocols are being followed to maintain asepsis and to prevent spread of virus. All standard algorithms are followed while treating the patiens. The centre has set an example infront of the medical fraternity and the society about the work culture which has been nourished in the institute for over last 5 decades.
Presently, the institute has its third generation at work. We can say proudly that, the principles and values once set up by the founders are rightly followed and nurtured by the new generation, who are joining their hands for benefit of medical fraternity and the society.
We have been facing the grave and dreadful peril of ‘Covid Pandemic’ for over last 5 months. Still the seriousness of the situtation is same as it was four months back. There are no signs of abetment in the agony. More over, the graph of severity is showing continuously upwards trend. At national level, death toll has crossed 45 thousand.The dread of insecurity is looming on the entire populace. In view to contain the spread of the viral infection, very strict (rigorous) countrywide lockdown was clamped on 17th March 2020. As expected, all social activities and services came to standstill. Being one of the essential services medical services were exempted from the lockdown. Practically, the medical services were also largely affected. Due to fear of contacting infection from the patients, many medical practitioners balked at continuing the practice in the early phase of the pandemic. Though natural it was against medical ethics and morality.
We, at Vivekanand Hospital, from the very begining of the episode, decided not to deny any emergency or critical, non covid patient coming to hospital. In the first month, the OPD attendance dropped down to 30% of average normality. Eventually indor occupancy came down to 40%. But gradually number of OPD and indoor patients grew and touched the mark of 70% of normal average. Among these non covid patients, most of them were of cancers, heart problems kidney failure, obstestrics problems.
To identify the Covid suspects, a special pre-entry ‘cell’ was created, where every patient coming to the hospital was screened with thermal test and pulse-oxy meter. Patients having complaints suggestive of COVID were examined in a special room by the doctor doning PPE suit, mask, gloves and face shield. All strong suspects were referred to Govt. Hospital for swab testing.
Other non suspects were examined and treated accordingly to the usual protocol.
During first four months of lockdown period, activities of cancer, cardiology and dialysis departments did not show any slide.
In all, 175 cancer surgeries were performed during this crucial period.
Daily, About 25 chemotherapy patients and 80 radiation therapy patients made avail of the cancer department. Ninety percent of all these patients were beneficieries of Mahatma Phule Arogya Yojana and got treatment free of charge.
During this testing time, medical and paramedical staff worked with dedication and sense of social commitment. In nut shell, the younger generation has followed in footsteps of founder doctors.
