On October 6, 2021, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Jharkhand, Sri Hemant Soren, did a virtual online inauguration of several health facilities that were specially commissioned in anticipation of a third wave of Covid pandemic. The Paediatric High Dependency Unit (PHDU) that was set up by Yogoda Satsanga Society of India (YSS) at Angara Block of Ranchi district was one among them. Health Minister Sri Banna Gupta, Additional Chief Secretary Sri A.K. Singh, and Swami Ishwarananda Giri, the General Secretary of YSS, were also present during the inauguration programme.
Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, YSS has been actively participating in a variety of Covid relief activities all over India. A brief account of all these activities have been presented in our previous blog on this subject, which can be read here.
Even before the second wave of the pandemic had started, YSS had approached the Jharkhand Health Department with an offer to set up a special Covid ward in a rural hospital. Until then, most of our Covid relief activity had been centred in and around urban areas. By creating a special Covid ward in a village, YSS wanted to extend its charitable activities to the rural areas also.
In the month of June 2021, YSS was invited by the Jharkhand Health Department to help establish a PHDU in one of the rural Community Health Centres (CHC) of Ranchi District. The Government of Jharkhand was readying itself to face the onslaught of a possible third wave, and as part of its strategy, it was strengthening its health facilities for treatment of children, who are considered to be at a higher risk of getting infected if and when the third wave of COVID-19 breaks out. YSS undertook this task of setting up a PHDU at the Community Health Centre (CHC) at Angara, which is a rural town situated about 30 Kms from the city of Ranchi. This CHC caters to poor tribals of 82 villages with a total population of over 1.1 lakhs.
The central hall on the first floor of one of the buildings in the CHC complex was renovated into a PHDU. The walls of the hall, which previously were plain walls, have been covered with colourful ceramic tiles up to a height of 7 feet. This will help keep the ward clean and hygienic. The remaining three feet all the way to the ceiling have been painted with children friendly images to make it warm and welcoming for the sick children.
A PHDU is a ward specially equipped to treat children who are suffering from moderate to severe COVID-19 infection. In this ward, there are ten semi-fowler hospital beds (beds equipped with a winch to raise one side of the bed) with each bed having its own dedicated oxygen supply and an equipment that can continuously monitor the child’s vitals such as BP, Heart Rate, Oxygen saturation etc. In addition, it has special equipment to take care of very small infants such as infant warming stations, special oxygen masks, autoclave, and syringe pumps.
A nursing station has also been constructed in the middle of the hall from where all beds are visible for effective monitoring of the sick children. All necessary electrical repairs, fittings, and plumbing work was also undertaken to make the ward fully functional.
In his brief address during the inaugural function of the PHDU, Swami Ishwarananda expressed his gratitude to the Jharkhand Government for providing YSS an opportunity to serve the society, and thanked the Health Department, the Medical Officer in-charge of Angara CHC, and other doctors for their cooperation and support.
This PHDU at Angara CHC is on the eastern side of Ranchi district. A similar PHDU is being set up at Ormanjhi CHC, which is on the northern side of Ranchi district. It was because of the generous donations received from large-hearted YSS devotees that we were able to set up these facilities which will serve the rural population not only during the pandemic, but also for many years later. Our deepest gratitude and thanks to all these magnanimous souls, who gave of their time, energy and resources to create this wonderful facility that is dedicated at the feet of God and Gurus, to serve one and all.
