Battling against the pandemic

The Covid-19 pandemic is the biggest global health emergency of our lifetime. A health crisis that has taken the whole world in its grip, causing devastation and posing a daunting challenge for countries all over the world.
The first case of Covid-19 in Pakistan was detected on February 26, 2020. Indus Health Network (IHN), as a pioneer of absolutely free and quality healthcare delivery to the most under-served patients all across Pakistan, has been at the forefront in the fight against the pandemic since its onset. From the very first case of Coronavirus in Pakistan, the network's goal has been to help identify, treat and limit the spread of Covid-19 in the country, and to reduce the related morbidity and mortality. The doctors, nurses, paramedics, laboratory staff, and community health workers have been working tirelessly and selflessly, day and night, in order to minimise the impact of Covid-19 across Pakistan.
As a rapid response to this pandemic, the first and the foremost action taken was integration of the existing infrastructures and repurposing of facilities. Presently, there is a 60-bed Covid-19 treatment unit (inclusive of Intensive Care Units and High Dependency Units) at the Indus Hospital, Korangi Campus, Karachi along with a dedicated Covid-19 Emergency Area set up as per the WHO recommendations. More than 450 patients have been treated successfully in the Covid-19 Ward in Korangi Campus, Karachi. Additionally, there is a 175-bed treatment unit in Muzaffargarh and antibody and PCR swab collection facilities integrated into primary care and tuberculosis treatment sites in districts of Sindh, Punjab and Baluchistan.
To advance the response in different districts of Pakistan, particularly Karachi and Sindh, data from various partnerships has been effectively utilised to implement targeted and timely screening and testing. Mobile TB vans are being used to provide integrated TB and Covid-19 services by deploying them at hospitals and communities as a drive-thru facility and mobile clinic.

IHN houses one of Karachi's largest state-of-the-art Biosafety Level 3 (BSL 3) Laboratory. In response to the requirements for conducting Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) testing, the laboratory stepped forward and scaled up its initial capacity of 100 tests per day to 2,500- 3,000 tests per day. This is a major milestone for the lab at IHN, enabling it to be one of the leaders in Covid-19 testing in the country. Till date, the lab has conducted approximately 100,000 tests. These include the tests of the patients coming to IHN facilities as well as the requirements from the Government of Sindh. Overall, IHN has contributed to more than 40 per cent of Sindh province's testing and 15 per cent of the total testing in Pakistan.
Further to this, IHN believes in collaborations and partnerships, as working together in these critical times can result in helping the communities across Pakistan to fight this deadly pandemic. IHN offered regular trainings, policy advice and helped set-up facilities of the public sector hospitals, in collaboration with the government. In Sindh, it assisted the provincial government to fast-track setups of large isolation and quarantine units. Additionally, IHN in collaboration with district health authorities, implemented innovative solutions like drivethrough testing for bringing access to Covid-19 testing closer to patients.
In a race against time to contain the spread of Covid-19, adaptability and fast learning have been critical. Therefore, utilising existing expertise, extensive training of staff has been conducted in parallel to capacity building. There has been a rapid development of training modules, incorporating all the latest information and protocols advised by World Health Organisation (WHO). The staff is being trained regularly to handle testing, precautions and referrals. A constant supply of personal protective gear and medical supplies is being ensured for the frontline health professionals. For the well-being of the frontliners, the psychosocial team and mental health professionals regularly conduct sessions and have set up a worry-free zone where the staff can sit and rejuvenate their positive energies during long and tedious duty hours.
Another highly effective response to increasing numbers of suspected Covid-19 cases is a massive public awareness campaign that is being run through all IHN's digital platforms. A dedicated section on the Indus Hospital website (www.indushospital.org.pk/coronavirus/) was developed for IHN Covid-19 initiatives and updates. On Facebook (@indushospital) and YouTube (@theindushospital) various posts and videos are being published for awareness.
To manage the strain on IHN's dedicated hospitals for Covid-19 services and other healthcare organisations in country, a Covid-19 Pakistan-specific, bilingual, self-screening tool has been developed and published on the Indus Hospital's website. This tool helps people to self-check their symptoms and risk factors from home and as per the results they may then consult the relevant hospital or healthcare service provider. IHN has also set up a dedicated Covid-19 Emergency Helpline where trained paramedic staff is available to answer queries and guide patients and their families to manage themselves in isolation/quarantine in case they are tested positive. For non-Covid-19 patients, tele-clinics have been introduced offering prompt healthcare services to patients requiring urgent assistance or routine checkups and treatment.
While the pandemic continues, IHN continues to rapidly adapt and demonstrate impressive resilience and advance thinking in response to this unprecedented health crisis. Acknowledging the relentless efforts of the entire team of IHN, Dr Abdul Bari Khan, CEO, Indus Health Network, in his message for staff this Independence Day said: "The whole team at the Indus Health Network has endured harrowing, heroic, and heartbreaking experiences but it is the love, care and generosity of the communities that we serve that still keeps us going in the face of this adversity. I pray that the Almighty helps us emerge out of this pandemic soon."
Maida Yasmeen
The author is the Assistant Manager, Communication & Resource Development Department, Indus Health Network