A senior officer of the Western Railway has said that after the Covid Pandemic hit the nation in March 2020 and soon after on 2nd April 2020, Jagjivan Ram Hospital (JRH) was declared as a dedicated COVID hospital by the Ministry of Railways and the hospital took this as a challenge converting it into fully COVID hospital by redesigning 202 beds during the lockdown.
According to Sumit Thakur – Chief Public Relations Officer of Western Railway, Jagjivan Ram Hospital at Mumbai Central is a 361-bedded multi-speciality, postgraduate teaching hospital with a blood bank having super speciality in Gastrointestinal Surgery, Gastroenterology and Cardiology.
After turning into a dedicated COVID hospital, its structure and functional areas were modified according to the changing needs as per COVID Protocols. 20 Bedded ICU, Labor Room and Operation theatre were modified into Negative pressure areas to prevent cross-infection among patients and health care workers.
Equipped with state-of-the-art technologies, latest medical procedures of treatment & a robust infrastructure for the treatment of patients, JRH has treated almost 5,000 patients.
Besides this, Pipeline Oxygen supply points were increased from 72 to 200 and the capacity of Liquid oxygen was increased to the double supply of oxygen to supply maximum numbers of patients without interruption.
To meet additional demand during the second wave of coronavirus, JRH procured 100 Oxygen concentrators for filling the excess demand of oxygen. On the path towards “Atmanirbhar Bharat”, JRH commissioned two PSA plants with a capacity of 500 LPM each which was commissioned on 29th October 2021 before the third wave.
Technology For Better Treatment:
To help the patients, smartphones with dedicated numbers were provided on each floor for better management of patients. Patients were being assisted by health care workers for video calls at their homes.
Psychological support was being given by psychiatrists and clinical psychologists by taking rounds and talking with patients for mental health, personally and telephonically.
JRH set up its own RT-PCR lab as a result of which reports are made available on the same day. By 2021, JRH was well equipped with ventilators, new medicines and oxygen. At present, all beds at JRH are provided with oxygen and also all 20 ICU beds have been provided with ventilators.
Vaccination for all:
JRH also took up the challenge and started vaccination for eligible beneficiaries all over Mumbai Division on 8th March 2021.
The hospital arranged vaccination of railway beneficiaries over the entire Mumbai through JRH. Total 52,000 doses (including 1st & 2nd doses) have been given till date. The hospital has also started vaccination of the +15 age group at all centres.
"Western Railway’s JRH is thus committed to reach out to the people in terms of providing vaccination, as well as take utmost care of the patients admitted in the hospital," said an officer of WR.
