Zero waiting ward comes up at Madurai hospital

MADURAI: Covid Free Madurai, a citizens forum in Madurai has established a zero-waiting ward at the Government Rajaji Hospital (GRH), which would help save lives by helping those who need oxygen while waiting for a bed at the hospital.
This facility has been organised in coordination with many institutes and which have jointly provided 45 stretchers and 90 oxygen cylinders to the GRH.During the peak of the second wave, many ambulances were making a beeline to the GRH, in which patients with low oxygen levels had to wait for a few hours till they found a bed. The need for a zero wait ward in Madurai was stressed by experts after it was successfully implemented by the Chennai volunteers in the government hospital there.
When patients from the ambulances are assisted to this zero waiting ward while waiting for a bed and also given oxygen, it goes a long way in maintaining the stability of the patient till he or she gets a bed. Trained volunteers would assist the patients to get the oxygen masks fitted, while waiting in this section. Monitoring officer for Covid in Madurai, Dr B Chandramohan said that this contribution would help the GRH in triaging the patients who are in need of emergency attention.
A vehicle has also been kept ready outside this facility to take cylinders for refilling as and when required. Former deputy director of public health, Tamil Nadu, Dr K Kolandasamy, chief advisor for the forum, said that this facility would be of great help in the advent of a third wave.
The facility was handed over to the dean of the GRH, Dr A Rathinvel in the presence of the Madurai district collector Dr S Aneesh Sekhar and Chandramohan. Volunteers from Covid Free Madurai, V A Palanikumar, J K Muthu Saravanan and Balaguru, were present.