IT Correspondent
Mumbai, June 22:
The Mumbai Port Trust (MbPT) has set up a “COVID Care Ashram” in one of its existing buildings near its hospital in Wadala in central Mumbai, which promises sun light and fresh air with yoga and meditation, a break from hospital’s cold ICU.
The ashram is located near MbPT’s hospital which has already been serving the coronavirus patients. The ashram located on about 2 acre land, lays emphasis on Yogic exercises and seeks to reduce burden on existing hospital. Only asymptomatic patients below 50 years of age are admitted to the ashram.
Besides having facility of oxygen supply, the “COVID Care Ashram” has some basic facilities of the hospital. It also gives holistic treatment by focusing on conducting Yoga classes, meditation classes, gargling, steam inhalation, sun bath, among others. One hour is devoted to Yoga, 90 minutes for meditation and 30 minutes for discussion on spiritualism. The patients are also required to do online “Asanas”( An asana is a posture of body. The term is derived from the Sanskrit word for ‘seat”).
The wards at the Ashram are spacious, well ventilated and equipped with a bed, table chair, cabinet and a pedestal fan for individuals. There is enough son light in every ward. The patients can use the clothes brought by them from home. The MbPT seeks to help reduce the load of the coronavirus infected patients at the hospital and provide holistic treatment to such patients.
At the ashram it’s a rigorous day schedule starting 6.30 AM after tea, till bed time at 9.30 PM with a 1.5-hour-long break after lunch. A herbal drink (kadha) along with steam inhalation, and gargling is part of the treatment. All asymptomatic positive patients have to undergo health check up twice a day. The success rate has been 100% here.
The existing Mumbai Port hospital caters to nearly one lakh port employees, their families and pensioners. With the spread of the infection, the existing hospital has already been upgraded to a 120-bed facility for Covid patients with centralised oxygen facility. Till date, the MbPT’s existing hospital has admitted 611 Covid patients.
As the inflow of Covid patients was continuously increasing, it was decided to create an additional facility by creating a 70-bed ‘’Covid Care Ashram’’, Mumbai Port Trust Chairman Sanjay Bhatia said.
At present, the 70-bed ashram has as many as 20 positive patients. But MbPT is prepared to accommodate more patients. All asymptomatic positive patients have to undergo health check up twice a day. The success rate has been 100% here.