Inside Jaipur’s Covid-19 ward for kids

Farhana (38), strapped up with personal protective equipment (PPE) kit, struggles to breastfeed her two-month-old baby daughter, Amra, who has tested coronavirus disease (Covid-19) positive, in the cardiothoracic (CT) ward of SMS Hospital in Jaipur.

Fortunately, Farhana (38), a resident of Maharo Ka Rasta in Jaipur’s walled city area, has tested negative for Covid-19. The hospital doctors have allowed her to be with the daughter because she needs to be breastfed. She has been taking all the precautions such as wearing coveralls, masks, gloves and using hand sanitisers while breastfeeding Amra.

Amra was admitted to the hospital on April 13, and a day later Farhana also moved into the ward, which is housed on the second floor of the main hospital building. Both mother and her baby daughter are maintaining adequate social distancing, as their beds are placed away from each other. Farhana goes over to Amra’s bed only when she needs to breastfeed her.

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The hospital’s CT ward has been converted into a paediatric unit for Covid-19 patients. It has 27 beds, including five semi-intensive care unit (ICU) facilities. Currently, 12 children are admitted in the ward – of whom seven and three are with their mothers and fathers, respectively.

Like Farhana, Ganesh (38) has also tested Covid-19 negative. But his two children --- son Yash (16) and daughter Bhumika (10) – have been infected by SARS-CoV-2, which causes Covid-19.

Ganesh, a resident of Jagannath Shah Ka Rasta, moved into the hospital on the same day as Farhana on April 14. Unlike Farhana and Ganesh, Nafees (35) and his daughter Ilya (4) both tested Covid-19 positive.

On Friday, a local non-governmental organisation (NGO), Mitra Foundation, organised distribution of gift hampers, including drawing kits and other activity tools, for the young patients to encourage them to engage in creative pursuits while undergoing treatment at the hospital.

Dr Sudhir Bhandari, prinicipal, SMS Medical College, distributed the gift hampers among the children. The hamper came with Covid-19 awareness workbook, story and drawing workbook, crayons, pencil, pen, eraser, sharpener, note pad, drawing sheet, stickers, ribbons and an instructive note on how to use the kit and then dispose of it.

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The hamper is packed in a paper bag called ‘Heroes in Disguise’ in honour of Covid-19 warriors, said Khushboo Sharma of Mitra Foundation.

Dr Bhandari lauded the NGO’s good turn for organising the gift hampers for the kids. He also wrote a letter of appreciation to Mitra Foundation’s secretary Ritesh Sharma. “We are thankful to the NGO for providing these kits to the young patients, as their faces lit up when they saw the colours and pencils,” he said.

The kit has a 10-page note pad, where children can write something about themselves such as their favourite toy, food, colour, book and place, a letter to their parents about their experience of the hospital stay, three things that they learnt from this experience, and three things they would want to do after they get discharged.

Meanwhile, the hospital authorities have assigned three paediatric department resident doctors on round-the-clock duties and coordinate with their senior consultant. Dr Aradhana Sharma, assistant professor of medicine department, SMS Hospital, visits the ward twice a day during morning and evening. Besides, eight nurses are attending to the children, including two belonging to Grade-1 and the rest to Grade-2.

“Initially, the children and their mothers were very sceptical and scared, as they had failed to understand the reason behind their isolation and confinement. They were unwilling to co-operate with the hospital staff,” said Dr Manish Agarwal, professor of neurosurgery and in-charge of CT ward.

“However, they have started cooperating with us after we managed to convince them that they would get well soon. We have made exceptions as well such as Farhana has been allowed to go to Amra’s bed to feed her. Else, nobody has been allowed to move around in the ward,” he added.