Provides free treatment to over 1,500 patients at Seth Mohandas Tulsidas Hospital

Mysore/Mysuru: Mysuru has emerged as a model for Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) in healthcare sector during the peak of COVID-19 pandemic. A couple of new state-of-the-art hospitals have been established under the PPP initiative where the Government has provided infrastructure and the private industries, hospitals and institutions are running full-fledged healthcare centres providing patients the much-needed facilities under their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds. 

The initiative taken by Cauvery Heart & Multi-Speciality Hospital, Siddarthanagar, has saved over 500 patients who were under various stages of criticality due to virus infections at Seth Mohandas Tulsidas (SMT) Hospital on JLB Road. It is a 72-year-old maternity hospital that has paved the way for a high-tech 100-bed designated COVID Health Centre, jointly managed by Cauvery Hospital and Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA).  

Critical care was provided in May and June to over 500 patients and nearly 1,000 were treated as outpatients where the Cauvery Hospital provided the complete manpower while the MUDA provided the infrastructure and modern equipment.  

Care was given at a time when pandemic scenario changed into a ‘medical emergency’ and when Mysuru desperately needed the medical facilities as patient numbers surged, deaths multiplied and there was a severe shortfall of doctors, paramedical and nursing staff.

“We realised early that we have to do something for the society as a service and we did not think commercially here. We approached MUDA and the District Administration and we visited the COVID Care Centre at KSOU Academic Bhavan in Mandakalli. As it was not suitable to establish a hospital, we zeroed in on SMT Hospital and set up a 100-bed hospital including the ICU (Intensive Care Units) and HDU (High-Dependency Unit),” Founder and Chairman of Cauvery Heart & Multi-Speciality Hospital Dr. G.R. Chandrashekar told Star of Mysore. 

50:50 partnership

Close coordination was initiated with MUDA and a full-fledged hospital was set up with 50:50 partnership. “When we first visited the SMT Hospital only the building was done and we filled life into it and the hospital was up in just 12 days. The equipment was ready and a range of employees were recruited by us on an urgent basis to provide free treatment. Initially, we provided 30 oxygenated beds and later it was expanded to a 100-bed facility with 10 ICUs and HDUs combined,” he explained. 

Two consultants, six duty doctors, 38 nursing staff, pharmacist, store in-charge were hired and among the nurses, 12 were from the final year of Cauvery Nursing College and 26 were freshly recruited. 

“Yes, it was a challenge for recruitment but we managed even during the peak of the pandemic and the entire expenses starting from salary to logistics management was taken care of so that our staff working at SMT Hospital were not inconvenienced. We had full cooperation from MUDA Chairman H.V. Rajeev and MUDA Commissioner Dr. D.B. Natesh. Also, District Minister S.T. Somashekar, MP Pratap Simha and MLA S.A. Ramdas took keen interest in setting up the facility,” he added.

Patients recover and happy

In addition to free treatment, the Cauvery Hospital provided hygienic and free vegetarian food three times a day and also snacks and beverages with the help of donors. In addition, eggs were provided considering the nutritional value. “We were honoured when patients expressed their happiness over the treatment, facilities and food provided at SMT Hospital during their stay. All their healthcare and food needs were taken care of,” Dr. Chandrashekar said. 

Apart from spending Rs. 15 lakh for the all-inclusive service at SMT Hospital including donation of oxygen concentrators, in coordination with Alanahalli Police, food kits each worth Rs. 1,500 were distributed at Siddarthanagar and Alanahalli to 250 deserving auto drivers, BPL families and over 70 housekeeping staff working at Cauvery Hospital itself. 

“We donated 20 high-definition ICU multipara patient monitors to Adichunchanagiri Institute of Medical Sciences that was running a 200-bed healthcare facility and this cost us Rs. 10 lakh. This apart, as a CSR initiative, we recently built the roof of Rahul Nursery and Primary School at Mahadevapura for poor children. Every year, we provide scholarships to over 20 economically weaker students through Chandrashekar Foundation and also fund education by paying their school fees directly to the institutions. Genuine cases are treated freely at our hospital and we believe in giving back to the society,”    Dr. Chandrashekar noted.