JOIN USThis doctor has brought healthcare to the doorstep of rural Karnataka
With few healthcare facilities near his village, 26-year-old Naveen S of Dorthikahalli near Sidlaghatta in Chikkaballapur district was struck by panic when he tested positive for Covid-19 recently. The volunteer network from the local Covid first aid clinic, however, comforted his anxiety.
“They came three times a day to check my oxygen saturation levels and temperature. They also gave me medicines and told me what symptoms to monitor for,” Naveen said. “I felt safer knowing someone was caring for me,” he added.
Led by Dr Anil Kumar A, about 450 volunteers have been working tirelessly in 152 villages in Bagepalli and Gudibanda taluks of Chikkaballapur district to ensure that Covid-19 patients get proper treatment, and recover.
Each volunteer group in these villages is equipped with a pulse oximeter, an infrared thermometer and basic medication. “People know what to do to safeguard themselves from Covid--wearing a mask and social distancing. But they do not know what to do once they test positive or start showing symptoms,” said Dr Anil Kumar.
This is the gap that Dr Kumar intended to fill. All through the first and second Covid waves, the volunteer network has distributed pamphlets door-to-door to inform people what symptoms they should look for. “We ask the people of the village to inform us on the first day of the symptoms,” he explained.
Since most of the volunteers are from the Krishi Koolikarara Sangha, Democratic Youth Federation of India and local SHGs, they already have their ears to the ground and can easily identify when someone starts displaying symptoms.
South African inspiration
Inspired by South African Dr Shankar Chetty, a general physician who treated more than 3,000 poor patients successfully using the ‘eighth-day treatment’ strategy, Dr Kumar intended to reduce the need for hospitalisation. Dr Chetty observed that around the seventh, eighth and ninth days, the patient may either see symptoms intensify or develop new severe symptoms which indicate a cytokine storm. “The need for hospitalisation reduces if the patient is treated with an antihistamine or steroids at this time,” said Dr Kumar.
Similar to a triaging system, the doctor has set up a facility to treat patients if their condition worsens. Manjunath, a volunteer in Golapalli, listing his tasks, explains that once they notice a new symptom in the patient or if the condition worsens, he contacts Dr Kumar. Having converted his hospital in Bagepalli — People’s surgical and maternity home — into an exclusive Covid facility with 30 beds with oxygen, patients who need hospitalisation are shifted there.
With the help of Right to Live and Spandana Foundation, the volunteer network has also acquired 37 oxygen concentrators, which they provide to those who need oxygen support during the recovery process. In this way, the network has been able to treat 720 patients successfully with three deaths in the past month. Dr Kumar’s hospital has treated about 74 patients.
When Naveen’s condition worsened and needed hospitalisation, he was shifted to Dr Kumar’s Covid facility. “After I recovered, I was sent home with an oxygen concentrator,” he said, expressing contentment that there was someone trying to provide support in rural areas deprived of healthcare.
Rural-urban divide
Dr Kumar spent 15 years in Bengaluru for his schooling and degree. But even then, he knew that staying in the city for long would be a waste of his education, and returning to his hometown Bagepalli would instead help more people.
“The study of medicine is aimed for the betterment of society. So, we have to go where we are needed,” he said outlining how stark the distribution of healthcare resources is between urban and rural areas.
Close to 69 per cent of India’s population reside in rural areas. But the doctor to patient ratio here is 1: 25,000 while the recommended ratio by the World Health Organisation (WHO) is 1:1,000.
There is also a serious lack of beds in the hospitals and rural patients are forced to travel tens of kilometres to the nearest taluk hospital. Managing Covid cases at the community level using public healthcare management techniques is thus imperative. “Otherwise, it will be humanly impossible to tackle the spread of Covid-19 in rural areas,” he emphasised.
A volunteer in the network, Savitramma B, is also part of an initiative that helps provide MGNREGA work to villagers as part of the Akhila Bhartiya Janavadi Mahila Sangha. “Many labourers are experiencing extreme difficulty in managing their homes, and travelling for medical support now is next to impossible,” she said.
During the first set of lockdowns, with the help of a mobile clinic set-up, Dr Kumar and some volunteers also attended to those with co-morbidities. “Everything was locked down and people with co-morbidities had no place to get medication. Intervention by the volunteers at that time helped keep many people healthy,” said Savitramma.
The Taluk Health Officer of Bagepalli Dr Sathyanarayan Reddy, appreciating Dr Kumar’s involvement in helping the people of the area said, “ The doctor has a good idea of what is needed on the ground level. There is mistrust with regard to hospitals among the rural population. By visiting their homes, Dr Kumar is earning their trust.”
“It is rare that people with education and resources choose to help people out. I am glad that the doctor and his volunteers care,” said Naveen, echoing the gratitude of many in Bagepalli and Gudibanda.