Amid rising cases in the state, the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Narayana Superspeciality Hospital saw only four Covid-19 related deaths in April
A man disinfects the yatra trail in the Katra district, helping to maintain the strict Covid-19 protocols set in place
Jammu & Kashmir is witnessing a sudden surge in coronavirus cases—from almost 40,000 last week to 50,000 this week. Amid these challenging times, there’s a silver lining. The Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Narayana Superspeciality Hospital, the largest hospital in the state in Katra district, has seen only four Covid-19 related deaths in April and one in March (as compared to 289 total deaths in April throughout J&K). Ramesh Kumar, the CEO of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi shrine board and his team have been moving from pillar to post to ensure patients receive the best medical care.
The state believed the worst was over after the first wave of the coronavirus. This belief was reinforced as the hospital would get only one or two Covid-19 patients a day in January and February 2021. The spike in cases in March, however, with 200-300 callers per day, was unforeseen and it rang the warning bells for the hospital.
The demand for beds was high. The hospital has a capacity of 150 beds—110 reserved for Covid-19 patients; 35 for non-Covid-19 patients and five for emergencies or trauma injuries. As a result, it could admit only 20 new patients a day, depending on the number of people discharged.
The three-floor hospital then devised a strategy to keep coronavirus cases under check. Of the three floors, two were kept only for Covid-19 patients and one for non-Covid-19 related cases, separated by a new wall. There were separate entries for these areas and the staff was instructed to work only in one of these sections to minimise the chances of transmission.
The hospital staff worked around-the-clock, procuring oxygen cylinders, verifying new patients, getting status updates and offering doctor consultations. Kumar had to work from home after his daughter tested positive for the coronavirus, but he didn’t let that come in the way of his duties.