Kerala's Kasaragod beats odds to battle coronavirus
In spite of treating the highest number of COVID-19patients in the state with meagre infrastructural facilitiesand even without the support of a medical college in the northKerala district, no deaths have been reported due tocoronavirus.
The state health department views the performance of MKunhiraman and his team, consisting of Janardhana Naik andKrishna Naik, at the General hospital in Kasaragod as asuccess story.
"Not only did they control the situation quickly withminimum infrastructure, they also started turning out a largenumber of negative cases within a few weeks and creditablyensured zero mortality.
This can be showcased as a best global model," Chairmanof the Information Education and Communication (IEC) Committeeand Project Director Kerala State Aids Control Society, RRamesh said.
Recalling the ordeal, Janardhana Naik said his firstmajor challenge was the physical examination of a patient withsuspected COVID-19.
"Even with the PPE kit, nobody knew how effective theywere and it took a whole 30 minutes to wear them properly. But as time passed, we got accustomed to it," he said. The traditional method of dealing with a patient involvedknowing his or her history, observation and physicalexamination.
For hundreds of years, the hands-on body approach hasbeen the soul of the doctor-patient relationship -- taking thepulse, tapping on and listening to the chest, feeling lumps.
With the onset of COVID-19 all that has changed.
"In fact, the whole exercise was fraught with grave risksbecause everything connected with COVID-19 was new.
Doctors have to keep a distance even though the physicalexamination wearing a Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) isdifficult.
Sounds from the body are inaudible, vision is blurredthrough the smog-covered goggles and a stethoscope seldom hasany use," Janardhana Naik said.
It was from March 15 that the hospital started receivingCOVID-19 patients, primarily from Dubai. By the time the first person came, the hospital was readyfor him.
Soon, patient numbers began to swell and in a couple ofweeks they reached about 91.
From then on, it was teamwork.
Committees were formed for each and every task, includingthe help desk, IT, treatment, medical board, training, food,waste disposal and data maintenance. Initially, patients had many misgivings about thehospital.
"Some were disillusioned and even aggressive. Some werenot happy with the facilities the hospital had to offer.
But gradually through good treatment and counselling by apsychiatrist, who visited the hospital on alternate days, theconfidence and mood of the patients changed and they becamefriendly with the staff," Naik elaborated.
Counselling was also given to the concerned familymembers of the patients.
Besides treatment, the medical staff had to spend aconsiderable amount of time clearing the doubts of patients.
When they got discharged some patients insisted on seeingthe faces of the medical staff, who till then were anonymousentities covered from head to toe.
Some even wanted to take selfies with them.
However, the medical team politely turned down theirrequests and preferred to remain hidden in their work attires.
The mood of the patients also rubbed off on the doctorsand hospital staff.
All the physicians and hospital staff are now moreconfident of dealing with contagious diseases after treatingCOVID-19 patients.
"Our previous experience of treating H1N1, Chikungunyaand Dengue cases helped us a lot.
Words of encouragement from the Health Minister K KShailaja, Health Principal Secretary Dr Rajan N Khobragade andHealth Services Director Dr Sarita R L gave us the impetus tobuild up confidence.
Moreover, the field health workers did a wonderful job incontaining the viral spread," Naik added.
As the number of coronavirus cases rose, the stategovernment on April 5 deputed a 26-member medical team fromThiruvananthapuram to set up a COVID-19 hospital in thedistrict.
They turned a block of the under construction GovernmentMedical College as a hospital-like facility, setting up a 200bed facility to treat coronavirus patients. TGBROH ROH