It is neither a hospital nor a COVID Care Centre run by the State government, but there are 50 COVID-19 patients from diverse backgrounds living together here, turning strength for one another in this hour of despair.
With almost no ICU bed or oxygen-supported bed available in Anantapur district except for a few COVID Care Centre beds in the JNTU hostels, the Viswam Vignana Kendram in association with the United Teachers’ Federation and Kodigenahalli 1989 Alumni Association on May 1 invested about ₹2 lakh to set up a COVID Care Centre by taking proper permissions from the district administration.
“Our idea has been to support friends infected by COVID-19 by providing them a safe place to spend 14 days away from their family so that others do not get infected,” Communist Party of India (Marxist) district secretary V. Rambhupal tells The Hindu.
The centre is manned by two doctors visiting in the morning and evening and three professionally-trained nurses serving in three shifts. Since its formal start on May Day, even without asking, many people have been donating everything needed for the patients. Located in the HLC Colony in Anantapur, the centre is tucked in the greenery of large, tall trees that are a couple of decades old.
On Friday, out of 42 patients 13 got discharged and their satisfaction levels have given all the people who toiled for this a reason to smile, say doctors Geyanand, Veeresh, Veerabhadraiah and Kondaiah.
An oxygen cylinder has been kept on standby and testing or other needs are taken care of by the people monitoring the facility. A software engineer, an auto driver, a journalist and a student were among the first batch of patients who went home smiling.
