Jhajjar villagers set up Covid centre in school

BOX (NOT IN COPY): FACILITIES AVAILABLE

– The centre is equipped with five oxygen concentrators, over 10 cylinders and 25 beds

– Two doctors, including a Medical Officer from the same village and another from Jhajjar, are available there

Ravinder Saini

Tribune News Service

Jhajjar, May 25

Residents of Silani village with the help of the district administration are operating a Covid care centre in a school to provide immediate treatment to the patients.

Significantly, not only residents of Silani but natives of other villages are also coming here for treatment.

“The idea to set up a Covid centre came to my mind on May 3 when three villagers fell ill and they needed immediate medical attention as their oxygen level dropped. Those were the days when neither beds nor oxygen was available in hospitals. We met a co-villager and Medical Officer Dr Sumit Chahar at the Silani PHC and shared the idea with him. He took an initiative and executed it,” said Arvind Chahar, a village youth.

He said some beds and oxygen cylinders were arranged in the school and Dr Sumit treated the three patients there. Thereafter, 15 beds were provided by Jhajjar Gurukul and four oxygen concentrators by Dr Pawan Yadav, Medical Officer at the Patauda PHC. Later, patients from Patauda, Kot, Dhakla, Dighal, Dadri Toa, Jhajjar and Silana villages also started coming here for treatment, he added.

“Dr Sumit and Dr Umang Saini from Jhajjar treat the patients here while my friends — Mohit and Manish — and I not only take care of them but also manage the centre by refilling cylinders and fulfilling other needs. An ambulance has been provided by the administration to bring the patients here,” Arvind added.

Dr Sumit said the centre was adjacent to the PHC hence he spent his entire day there. Only one oxygen concentrator was available at the PHC when the centre was opened. “Thereafter, we managed to arrange more concentrators, beds and other essential things on our own. The administration has provided 10 beds and is also supplying medicines and other equipment,” he added.

Meanwhile, Dr Vikas, Medical Officer associated with the Covid programme, said besides medicines and oxygen, all demands raised by the centre were fulfilled immediately so as to facilitate hassle-free treatment to the patients. “The centre has so far treated 32 Covid and 20 patients suffering other diseases. It has also become an inspiration for others,” he added.