New Delhi: Young volunteers of Navodayan's engaged in varying fields, have risen to the occasion to provide emergency services to the people of Bihar and Pan India amid the deadlier second wave of the pandemic. They will together form a covid helping what's app group and extended their hands for all. Which now has around 80 people, comprising at least 48 doctors, among others. They all are alumni of JNV.
Most of the doctors in the group are based in the Bihar but some are from other state too, Additionally, the group has some journalists, academicians and professionals of different fields. The group was primarily dedicated to those associated with the JNV, but later it was open to serve all. They also publicised about the group on social media platforms so that more and more people can reach out to them.” Apart from doctors and volunteers, they also received help from a number of bureaucrats who are also alumni of JNV. Upon arranging beds in government and private hospitals, oxygen cylinders, BiPAP and medicines for patients across the state, They reached a conclusion that a large number of infected patients can be treated at home if they are provided the necessary medical care.
“By the first week of May, they started getting around 100-150 phone calls per day. After deliberations, they decided to minimise hospitalisation and not let people panic. They utilised the doctors in their alumni group who happily agreed for telephone consultation. They worked in great coordination, provided medical care to mild and even moderate patients at home with the help of specialist doctors, arranged medicines and oxygen cylinders for them with the help of district administration, journalists and influential academics of their group. Hospital admissions were only for those who were serious and really needed it,”
They had prepared a list of patients who were being treated at home. Such patients, They claimed, used to be attended twice a day by the team of doctors they have. There was a virtual medical board where cases would be discussed everyday by a dedicated team of experts.
Though majority of the work was restricted to online mode, yet there were volunteers who were working offline when it was required. “They organised several sessions of e-training for them to ensure they serve people safely without risking their lives. They repeatedly urged them to make full use of the social media and contacts through phones and venture out only in case it was extremely needed. Patients’ attendants, too, were trained online on how to handle medical equipment.”
They claimed that the doctors in the group looked after around 5,000 patients. Of them, 2,000 patients were serious. They got 100 patients admitted,of the total 5,000 patients, they failed to save 50. Rest of them recovered and are doing fine. Their core active members are Dr Hari Mohan of PMCH, Dr Rajiv Kumar — senior resident at Patna’s Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Science (IGIMS), Dr Abhijit of the Nalanda Medical College and Hospital (NMCH) in Patna, Dr Sumit — who is pursuing DM cardiology from SMS Medical College in Rajasthan’s Jaipur, Dr Vikas — who serves at Paras Hospital in Patna, Dr Bipin senior surgeon in Katihar, Dr Pintoo in Bhagalpur, Amritesh Kumar ASP in Lakhisarai, Ravindra Kumar DM Bulandshahr and a, Kavita Padmmaj — a programme officer with the Government of Bihar, Shweta Jha— a journalist based in Ghaziabad and Delhi, Professor Akhilesh Kumar — who teaches Zoology at Patna Science College, Amit Mishra in Katihar and Saket Dayal in Patna among others.
At a time when the entire nation, including Bihar, is fighting against the worst ever tide of the deadly virus amid the near total collapse of government machinery, these unsung heroes have emerged as the flag bearers of hope for the needy.
