Tag: Helping Hand Foundation

Health

Marking 10 months of Post COVID Rehabilitation

Mar 2, 2021 by Neel Achary 0 Comments #Helping Hand Foundation, #SEED

Hyderabad: Helping Hand Foundation (HHF), an NGO that works in the Health Care space in aiding weaker sections has forayed into establishing a state of the art & fully integrated Rehabilitation & Home Care Centre in association with US based charity, SEED on a Non-profit model.

In its 1st year of operations, the 30 bedded, Comfort & Care Centre (CCC), set up to bring high quality and low-cost rehab & home care, has successfully treated over 100 patients out of which 50% were for tracheostomy care, 20% was post COVID-19 rehab and rest 30% was neuro and ortho rehab.

With charges at almost 1/3rd or as low as Rs 1500/- per day for Bed, Nursing, Doctor, physiotherapy, ambulance a total cost of Rs 60 lacs was saved in providing rehab services to 100 patients if the same patient were treated in any other rehab centres as per the present rates prevailing in the market.

Helping Hand Foundation
A grateful post COVID patient with the team of doctors, physiotherapists and nurses who helped him recover, on being discharged from the rehab center run by HHF and SEED-USA.

Most of the patients who need rehabilitation care have typically spent a significant out of pocket expenses in critical care, particularly the COVID cases, while undergoing treatment. Expensive rehab care is a deterrent and many prefer to keep the patient at home due to the financial constraints post treatment in the present scenario.

We saw immense amount of fear and stigma in peak of COVID, so much so that even after treatment and testing negative families refused to accept their kith and kin back home, that’s when we thought and dared to start post COVID Rehab for such cases says Mr. Mujtaba Hasan Askari, of Helping Hand foundation.

10 months back – The Comfort & Care Centre (CCC), was in fact one of the first centres to offer post COVID rehabilitation an area which not many had feared venturing into due to the stigma and fear associated with COVID -19.

Till date the CCC has successfully treated over 20 post COVID cases that were in need of rehabilitation care. A combination of O2 therapy, Chest Physiotherapy, YOGA, diet was used for post COVID rehabilitation that saw 98% success rate and most recovered fully and went back home.

Although the COVID cases have come down, the centre has been receiving 2 to 3 cases per month, where patients are coming with lung tissue damage or pulmonary fibrosis who need oxygen therapy along with respiratory physiotherapy, Yoga sessions & Counselling

Alongside In-patient Rehab, the CCC is also offering affordable HOME CARE to patients at door step. The Home care services will comprise of bringing to the doorstep basic primary health care including Bed Side & Nursing care, checking vitals including ECG, wound cleaning, and dressing, administering IV fluids, bedsore care, providing medicines for acute medical conditions all under medical supervision Comfort & Care Centre (CCC), is also offering In patient care for tracheastomy patients, paralysis/stroke, dementia, trauma patients amongst others at affordabe cost.

Thus, good quality rehabilitation & home care with affordable cost is very important for most patients, who invariably spend a huge sum in seeking critical care initially and by the time they need rehab they are exhausted and our model has addressed these two significant issues said Mr. Syed Mazhar Ullah Hussaini, Executive Director, SEED, USA.

Run-on Non-Profit basis, the centre provides 24×7 doctors, nurses, physiotherapist, counsellors, nutritionist, bed side care givers and other support staff in a highly hygienic and sanitised environment. Open Air gym, Yoga, day care physiotherapy and a kitchen are all meticulously etched into the top floor of the complex that give most patients the comfort & pleasure of exposure to light and nature.

Business World

University of Edinburgh collaborates with NGO to formulate a module for under graduates on inequities in the COVID pandemic

Nov 18, 2020 by Gouri Achary 0 Comments #Dr. Reid, #Edinburgh, #Global Health Academy, #Helping Hand Foundation, #Mr. Mujtaba Hasan Askari, #The Edinburgh Futures Institute

The Edinburgh Futures Institute & Global Health Academy, a medical education arm of the prestigious, University of Edinburgh, Scotland, one of the top universities in the world, is collaborating with different stakeholders like public health experts, NGOs & medical fraternity in low- and medium-income countries to understand the inequities in dealing with the pandemic.

In one such collaboration, the Edinburgh Global Health Academy had collaborated with Hyderabad based NGO, Helping Hand Foundation.

The academy educators conducted tutorials for the undergraduate medical students from the live discussions through the video feeds on the health inequities encountered during the pandemic in some of the low-income countries.

The video recordings of the online discussions with HHF were very well received by the undergraduate students at Edinburgh University who are completing a course on Global Challenges said Dr. Jenny Reid, Course lead & coordinator at Edinburgh Futures Institute and the Global Health Academy, University of Edinburgh.

Dr. Reid, added that the University has collaborated with Royal College of Physicians, Edinburgh, Public Health experts in SE Asian Countries like Singapore & an NGO in Hyderabad, India to put together the module that will help the Undergraduate students get a broad understanding on the inequalities in the COVID pandemic, that will help them make informed choices about the future needs in public health policy in tackling the COVID Pandemic.

The students came up with lots of ideas in response to the tutorials. We asked them to think what they would include on a poster to educate people who may be illiterate about coronavirus and to try and reduce the stigma around the virus said Professor Liz Grant, Head of Global Head Academy, Edinburgh University.

Health Inequities

The focus of the narrative was to help the under-grad students at the University understand the health care system in India and what kind of situations emerged in the pandemic that resulted in economic & health inequities, particularly for the vulnerable sections.

Some of the key areas of that were touched upon were – the lack of preparedness of the health system in ramping up testing & treatment capacities early, supply-side shortages of essential medical equipment, the lack of trust factor in the public health system coupled with the push toward private health care that exploited the situation, the role of public health organisations in educating masses and helping fight stigma & fear – where some of the key points that went into the video feed that will be part of the tutorial for the undergrad program on Global Challenges module. The challenges of addressing the lack of isolation in Urban slums on account of large families & congested living within these clusters were also part of the panel discussion.

What was of interest to the medical educators at Edinburgh was the medical relief services like Home Isolation care which the NGO provided to over 5000 patients and delivered seamless online consultations by a competent team of doctors & took some of the health services to the doorstep like provisioning O2 supplies, labs and medicines said Mr. Mujtaba Hasan Askari of Helping Hand Foundation.

Business World

70% of people in flooded areas complaining of Fungal infection, 20% diarrhea, 10% fever, cold, Cough says door to door survey by NGO – Online consultation and door delivery of Medicines in affected areas

Oct 21, 2020 by Gouri Achary 0 Comments #Fungal infection, #Helping Hand Foundation, #Mr. Mujtaba Hasan Askari

Buoyed by its success in treating over 10,000 COVID patients through virtual mode in the last few months – City-based NGO, Helping Hand Foundation, has now launched a telemedicine helpline and door to door delivery of medicines for people affected with the recent floods in the city, who are at risk of water-borne diseases.

With several areas in the city marooned and with stagnated water still inundating many areas and houses, out of the total complaints registered in the survey – 70% are fungal infections with itching, 10% fever & body pains, 20% diarrhoea, from the door to door survey being done by the NGO.

In many areas, the water has receded but the muck and slush have made it difficult for people to come out and access medical & health care services. Moreover, people are in a state of shock and distress as everything around them is badly damaged and destroyed. Priority for such is to first get the house in order. People are requesting for door delivery of health services in many areas as per the study done by the NGO.

In order to reach out to such affected people whose access to health care services is severely constricted- HHF, is carrying out door to door survey in several affected areas. The Health Care workers are carrying a fever kit, fever surveillance forms & medicines and will reach every house to check for sick children and adults in the water ravaged areas of the city.

After assessing the situation an online consultation with the doctor will be done and on the spot. After the clinical assessment is done, medicines will be given at the doorstep. One the two days of the launch of services over 150 houses & one Relief camp under Falaknuma Division in Hashamabad, Farooq Nagar and Fatima Nagar were covered and medicines delivered.

Any patient with COVID like symptoms will be monitored and testing and medication will be recommended to such.

The NGO has also taken up creating awareness in these areas, doctors and paramedical staff is going door to door, while another team is helping in clearing up the muck and spraying bleaching powder to disinfect.

Online telemedicine is a unique way to move from the brick and motor medical camp model & has the potential to reach out to many distressed and sick people quickly in difficult times like this where people have lost most of their belongings and are left with very little money for medicines and consultation said Mr. Mujtaba Hasan Askari, of Helping Hand Foundation.

HHF, will also place 12 ambulances 2 each in the flood-affected areas like Babanagar, Amanagar, Ganganagar, Talabkata, Jubail Colony, Hashamabad, Fatima Nagar, Farooq Nagar all the Urban slums worst affected by the recent torrential rains that battered the city.

HELPLINE # FOR EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES FOR FLOOD AFFECTED ARE: 8790679505, 789319193

Business World

Help desk set up at Gandhi Hospital for Covid 19

Sep 4, 2020 by Gouri Achary 0 Comments #Dr. M. Raja Rao, #Gandhi, #GANDHI HOSPITAL, #HELP DESK, #Helping Hand Foundation, #NGO, #Superintendent

Hyderabad, September 2020: City-based NGO, Helping Hand Foundation, which works with the underprivileged sections in empowering them in getting affordable and easily accessible treatment through their voluntary services in government hospitals, has now set up a HELP DESK services at the GANDHI HOSPITAL, the nodal centre for COVID-19 in Telangana State.

Apart from Gandhi the Help Desk is also running at District Area Hospital, King Koti, Osmania General Hospital, Government Nizamia General Hospital & at Government Chest hospital, Erragadda for COVID -19.

The newly setup HELP DESK at GGH, will have four Patient Counsellors and two ambulances attached to the desk from 9am to 5pm daily.

The counsellors at the desk will assist all intrahospital referrals particularly the maternity Covid positive cases, will help discharged COVID patients in arranging transportation through the ambulances attached to the desk. Volunteers will also assist elderly COVID patients in providing patient care & counselling.

The most critical role of the HELP DESK will be to liase between the admitted cases mainly from districts and their family members as many admitted patients are not carrying mobile phones and anxious relatives are concerned about their health. The interface will as per protocol and hospital guidelines.

Two brand new ambulances have been deployed by HHF for the patient and dead body transport. The recovered patients will be dropped at their doorstep within GHMC limits and to nearby districts free of charge as many patients after recovery do not have the means to foot the out of pocket expenses for transportation.

HHF volunteers are also working with Pregnant women affected with COVID and who are finding it difficult to access maternity services in Modern Government Maternity Hospital, Petlaburj, Government Community Health centre, Barkas, Government M.N. Area Hospital, Malakpet & Government Area Hospital, Bela, Shalibanda and with a HELP DESK now at GANDHI many such cases will stand to benefit as they will have someone to guide and assist them at GANDHI.

Dr. M. Raja Rao, Superintendent, Gandhi said, the fight against the COVID-19 has to be a collaborative effort and we are very glad that and happy that voluntary organizations are coming forward to supplement our efforts against the pandemic.

Many health care workers are scared to work in COVID hospitals as they fear getting infected and is a daunting task to find dedicated and trained resources but we have been lucky to have a committed and fearless team of volunteers at Gandhi to serve the needy said Mr. Mujtaba Hasan Askari of Helping Hand Foundation.

Public who needs assistance at GANDHI HELP DESK may reach to the Counsellors on Tel # 99635 04117, 95428 09069.