Karnataka: Games and learning at CCC in Sundrahalli help patients beat infection

SIDLAGHATTA (CHIKKABALLAPURA): A Covid Care Centre (CCC) in Sundrahalli of Sidlaghatta taluk, about 70km from Bengaluru, housing those with mild infection, seems to have successfully put into practice the Voltairean prescription - the art of medicine consists of amusing the patient while nature cures the disease.
Covid patients here are engaged in various activities, including educating schoolgoing children and playing indoor games such as carrom and chess.With people recovering and discharges outnumbering admissions, the centre - it has a capacity to house 150 patients and had its maximum of 133 patients on June 4 - had only 62 inmates on Sunday.
The CCC was started on May 23 at Morarji Desai Residential School. According to Murthappa, principal of the school and in-charge of the centre, daily discharges are around 20, while admissions stand at 12-15.
He said the centre has nearly 15 schoolgoing children in the age group of 7-12 and they are engaged in learning activities with help of two other inmates, who are teachers. He added textbooks and stationery available in the school came in handy. Murthappa said the centre has about 15 senior citizens who keep themselves busy with the games.
Geetha, an inmate and teacher at a Saddahalli school, said it gives her satisfaction to educate the kids, who have been deprived of studies all these months. She said apart from utilising textbooks, efforts are also made to engage the kids in essay writing, storytelling and other extracurricular activities.
Two doctors assigned to the centre check on the inmates twice a day. One of them, Dr Ambika MS from the PHC in Jangamakote, 3km away, said the feeling of being at home has had a positive impact on the patients.
She said normally village women are so occupied with their daily routine that even in isolation they would continue to worry about it. "However, at the centre, women folk are mingling with everyone, forgetting their domestic issues. They laugh, share jokes and take part in indoor games, some of which are frowned upon in their domestic contexts. The new bonds they are forging and the quality time they are spending are only boosting their confidence, helping them overcome the disease," Dr Ambika explained.
Munilakshmamma, an inmate who's a tailor, said the bonds the patients have formed reflect in the warmth that marks the send-offs for the discharged.
Rajiv, tahsildar, Sidlaghatta, said earlier this month, a Sangeetha Sanje (musical evening) was organised by personnel in charge of the centre. Music performances by local artistes and an inmate turned out to be a morale booster.
Deputy commissioner R Latha, who visited the centre on June 9, expressed happiness over the facilities being provided to the patients. She said at all Covid centres in the district, efforts are being made to create a conducive atmosphere to make inmates feel "they are living in their home and not a clinic or rehabilitation centre".