Why fear when we are here, says Lt Gen Madhuri Kanitkar while assessing Delhi's COVID facility
Jul 09, 2020
New Delhi [India], July 9 : Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel COVID-19 Hospital in Delhi Cantonment that was inaugurated by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Union Home Minister Amit Shah recently is expected to take in COVID-19 patients from Friday.
To assess the preparedness of the facility and its readiness to take in patients, Vice Admiral R Hari Kumar, Chief of Integrated Defence Staff to the Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee (CISC), along with Lt Gen Madhuri Kanitkar, Deputy Chief of Integrated Defence Staff (Medical) visited the facility on Thursday. The hospital team includes Major General SS Bhatia as CEO and Col Saroj Patnaik as registrar.
Speaking to ANI, Lt Gen Madhuri Kanitkar also a coordinator for three service headquarters and healthcare teams said that building up this facility in a "record time of 12 days" is a matter of "great honour and pride".
"This is an example of what we can achieve together. From illness to wellness, 'I' goes away, and 'we' comes in, and this is the mantra for success. People of Delhi need not worry. Why fear when we are here. We bring in professionalism," said Kanitkar.
Elaborating on the COVID facility, Kanitkar informed that it is an integrated effort of various ministries and DRDO along with few other stakeholders.
"We have specially trained professionals to take care of patients and health staff. We can give 250 ventilators and oxygen to all those admitted here. We will step up preparation once patients start coming in," she stated.
Physicians, pulmonologist, intensivists, public health specialists, microbiologists, biochemist, hospital administrators and residents are being deployed.
"Where there is a will there is a way. The present government wanted us to deliver. We fulfilled the challenge," added the Lieutenant General.
The hospital staff would work in shifts of six hours as it gets very uncomfortable to be in PPE kits for long hours. Acknowledging that mental health is fast emerging as a health challenge, Kanitkar said that training of health staff to give counselling to patients and their relatives is being done.
"We are ensuring psychological counselling and healthcare workers need to be motivated. In fact, we gave out posters for mental resilience-building support for not just for patients, but for the relatives as well. Our staff has been trained to counsel patients," she added while stating that for patients who are tested positive of COVID-19, this hospital will take the patient in and take care free of cost.
Principal matron of the COVID facility, Lt Col Sindhumol PK claimed that they have been prepared since the virus spread began in Wuhan.
"We are ensuring that patients will be counselled and the team remains motivated to help COVID patients. Also, we are mentally prepared to wear PPE kits. Our families are obviously worried but we are in service and service comes first," said the principal matron.
Vice-Admiral Joy Chatterjee, Director General Hospital Services (Armed Forces) too paid a visit to the facility.
Named after former Union Home Minister Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel, the COVID hospital was built in a record time of 12 days by Defence Research and Development Organisation ( DRDO) in joint efforts with Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Tata Sons and other industry players.
