Hyderabad: Mosque turns into Covid care centre

Hyderabad: Due to the lack of oxygen beds for Covid-19 treatment across the city, a mosque in Rajendranagar, in association with a voluntary organisation has decided to open its premises for running a full-fledged Covid isolation centre. The spacious double-storied school building attached to Masjid-e-Muhammadi has been converted into a 40-bed isolation centre, equipped with oxygen beds, medical equipment and triaging system.

According to the organisation, the 20 classrooms school (Madarsa) building in the masjid compound, have been meticulously converted into rooms that will accommodate two to three beds for Covid paitents, along with individual rooms for pharmacy, doctors resting area, triaging, casualty, and all of this with good sanitation and restrooms, on each floor. This is perhaps the first such religious institution in the city to come forward to provide free end-to-end care for Covid patients and will be open for all regardless of faith, caste or creed.

'The facility started on May 24, in all a 50-member staff will be available at the facility in three shifts, under the guidance of Dr P Shafi, MD, Internal Medicine, DM (Cardiology), credited to have treated more than 5,000 Covid patients. He will be assisted by 4 doctors in 6 hours shift, 4 Nurses, and 4 Bedside caregivers in similar shifts along with helpers and sanitation staff", said Mujtaba Hasan Askari of HHF.

All first-line medicines required for Covid treatment along with oxygen supplies will be provided to patients free of cost. A full-time physiotherapist and a dietician will be part of the team and a special Covid diet prepared in a highly hygienic environment will be served to the patients to improve treatment outcomes.

"The Helping Hands Rotary Trust through Rotary Club of Hyderabad Deccan and Support for Educational and Economic Development (SEED), have pitched jointly in setting up of the facility which is expected to cost about Rs 75 lakh including the operational expenses for the next 6 months and will be managed by the city-based healthcare NGO Helping Hand Foundation."

Ambulances services will be available round the clock to pick up patients from their doorstep and to shift patients to any government or private hospital if the need arises. With a strong network with all government Covid hospitals, the admissions, when needed, will be easily facilitated," added Mujtaba Askari.

"In these times of severe crisis, it is sad that people are suffering because of lack of Care and oxygen, hence we at Rotary have taken up to serve both the causes, by opening Covid care centre and free oxygen through Mission O2 for people suffering from Covid," said V V S N Raju, President Rotary Club of Hyderabad Deccan.

"We are very particular to provide space for asymptomatic to moderate Covid cases, particularly from economically weaker sections who cannot afford high out-of-pocket treatment expenses and lack adequate quarantine facilities at home," said Syed Mazhar Hussaini, Executive Director, SEED, USA.