Referral centre

COVID Care at the JSS Referral Centre in Ganiyari

The 100-bedded hospital at Ganiyari acts as a referral centre for the first two tiers i.e. Village Health Worker based care and healthcare services provided at the subcentres. JSS has been instrumental in triaging, stabilizing and referring patients to the dedicated COVID care centres in Bilaspur for the last year so that non-COVID care, that was shut down by most public health institutions, could still be offered to those in need. This includes care for chronic illnesses, TB, Cancer including surgery and chemotherapy, illnesses requiring surgical interventions including emergencies, obstetric and new born care, gynaecological care, and more. Owing to the sharp rise in cases recently and the massive disproportion between the burden of disease and available public health resources, JSS started a dedicated COVID ward primarily for the rural poor.

A team of doctors and nurses provide 24×7 care to COVID patients from the 72 intensive programme villages besides patients from nearby villages, and also Bilaspur. The ward is equipped with high-flow oxygen-beds, and a team of resident doctors, a consultant, and staff nurses are involved with care round the clock. It has been a little over 3 weeks since we started this ward, and it is already proving to be insufficient to hold the numbers reaching our COVID/COVID suspect triage and stabilization area.

This latter area with 4 ER beds has been functional for over a year starting with the first wave. While ensuring high-quality care to all the patients we see, one has to also take into consideration the rampant inequity in COVID care as well. Patients who can afford to pay and seek care elsewhere have also been preferring our services either due to the proximity to their place of residence or from the good feedback received from others leaving nothing for patients from a low socio-economic background. They often do not have the means to pay for food let alone healthcare. Hence, we keep a few beds reserved for such patients.

The disease, though curable, is mentally draining for the patients who have to stay in isolation for a while. To help ease the mental strain, we have been allowing one attendant per patient to be around for providing some comfort, allowing home cooked food if desired, and by their mere presence. Necessarily, we are also making sure that we do not put the attendants at risk by providing them with the necessary protective gear when they enter.