Scenes of panic and anxiety attacks among patients worried about dipping oxygen levels are not new at Sardar Patel COVID Care Centre, run by the ITBP in New Delhi, at a time the country is reeling under short supply of oxygen. With the intention of helping COVID-19 patients cope with stress, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police, which has come to the frontline in the battle against the pandemic, has began focusing on yoga and meditation at their COVID-19 care centre.
Apart from doctors and paramedical staff treating patients at the centre, stress counsellors of ITBP are becoming extremely valuable in helping the patients stay positive and stress-free. More than 30 stress counsellors have been deployed by the ITBP to look after the patients in the centre.
Senior chief medical officer and psychiatrist in ITBP Dr. Prashant Mishra is working round the clock to meet patients and discuss with them their concerns and needs. Several teams under Dr. Mishra have spread out to spend time with COVID-19 patients, and even their family members who are anxious and stressful.
From offering yoga and meditation exercises to providing food and other utility items, these counsellors are
doing their best to help ease the struggles of patients. These ITBP stress counsellors have been trained at National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) in Bengaluru.
Presently, the ITBP is the only force which is recruiting stress counsellors in its ranks to manage stress among the personnel.
Patients' stress levels aside, the ITBP brass itself has had some stressful moments in the last few days. Seeing the need for uninterrupted oxygen supply, ITBP DG S.S. Deswal wrote to the government authorities to install a dedicated oxygen plant at the ITBP Referral Hospital.
On May 6, an oxygen plant was installed at this hospital with the help of Italy. The plant will supply oxygen to more than 100 beds at a time.
ITBP is presently running three CovidCare facility centers—Quarantine Centre at ITBP Chhawla camp, Referral Hospital in Greater Noida and the Sardar Patel Covid Care Center (SPCCC) and Hospital at Chhatarpur in New Delhi.
These facilities started functioning as COVID-19 care centres once again after the Union home ministry designated ITBP as nodal agency in April. The force began by operating 500 oxygenated beds for COVID-19 patients at SPCCC on April 22.
With limited time in its hand and a rush of patients, the ITBP is gradually plugging the gaps and reducing its stress.
