The Covid -19 war, akin to a real war with the bullets substituted by the virus, bullet proof jackets by the personal protective equipments and the astuteness by the diagnostics has hit the country very tough with the second surge causing immense human suffering, disruption of trade and economic loss. Malur hospital which works on very thin profit margins with minimum facilities, was certainly panic stricken when declared it as a Covid care Centre, by the office of the deputy commissioner of the district. Dearth of the staff, inadequacy of space, insufficiency of supplies and equipments, meagerness of facilities was a test, threat and terror before us. There was no time left to decide on the interrogation of how, who, where and when and an overall planning was done in an emergency meeting of the sister staff working in the hospital.
Improvisation of physical facilities was a herculean task which demanded shrewd planning to contain the virus and shifting and rearranging of equipments and supplies. Pressure from the government authorities with 50 percentage of the bed reserved for patients referred by them, covered by an insurance Scheme brought in many obligatory time consuming paper works with uncertain outcomes. The reluctance and indisposition of the lay nursing staff bound the sister nurses to care for the positive patients. The sudden resignation of few other non-medical staff, and not having a physician round the clock to evaluate and take decision on the ailing patients and not having a ventilators to manage the patients who take bad added to our apprehensions.
When we encounter setbacks and failure and thus feel sorrow and pain, God will heal the pain in our heart, and guide us to cast off hardship. Trusting in the promises of the Lord beyond all our inadequacies we were set to receive the patients on 25th April 2021 with 10 beds with oxygen and 8 beds without oxygen of which the 50% is reserved for referrals from Government. Setting up a triage to categorize the patients at the OPD, pooling of resources and coordination of the whole situation was very cumbersome in the initial days. But the agony of the patients panting for breath and anxious and tear filled eyes of their dear ones make every staff from the counter to the wards to completely forget about our difficulties and move out with compassion.
The Lord our Shepherd who promised that there is nothing you shall want began working miracles in our initiatives. A physician and a resident medical officer joined us on their own on ready to do Covid duty. Sr. Elsy George our Provincial arranged SR. Vandana Rose, Sr. Kamala Joseph, Sr. Mary Alphonsa and Sr. Prathima Lobo to help us out from the province. The local CRI donated us with a Ventilator. and Sr. Lucian made arrangements for some supplies and an oxygen concentrator from CHAI.
Hats off to the sister nurses and the sister volunteers who are directly involved in the patient care and working without taking breaks and staying inside for almost a month. Some of them were positive contracted from the patients and was back on their feet soon after they felt better and continued their duty due to lack of nursing personnel.
Gratitude: to the sisters who prepares food for them and reaches it to them to keep them strong and well nourished, to the sisters who replaces us the non-medical staff who resigned, to Sr. Elsy George for being very understanding and supportive to us, to Sr. Elizabeth Miranda and her team for the truly loving and caring enquiries, to the sisters f the province and congregation for the solidarity and support and each and every sister working in the hospital who walk an extra mile, concerning their department for the healing and speedy recovery of our patients.
Definitely it’s a God given opportunity that on behalf of the Province and Congregation with the little we have we participate Covid 19 war. It brings joy to the heart of every one of us when a patient is healed and discharged despite the mental stress and strain we go through at the sight of their suffering and death. To date we have cared for 63 patients and there were 11 deaths.
We shall summarize this report, in the words of Jeramiah, “With weeping, they shall come and with consolations I will lead them back, I will let them walk by the brooks of water, in a straight path in which they shall not stumble, for I have become a Father to Israel.” Jeramiah 31: 9
Sisters of Malur Community
