The top 10 medical students’ list who are reaching out to Covid – 19 patients in home isolation was released by the Karnataka government, recently. Medical students Dhanya Hegde and Lavanya S are ranked 9th and 10th, respectively. Through tele-monitoring they assist Covid patients. The efforts of both the students have gathered much appreciation from the people as well as from the government officials.
Dhanya Hegde, a first-year MBBS student at Srinivas Institute of Medical Sciences & Research Centre in Surathkal, is from Udupi. She is numbered nine on the list. Speaking to NewsKarnataka, Dhanya said that, “It’s encouraging to see people appreciating the effort that’s been put in. For the past two months, I’ve been working with the BBPM. We’re given a few phone numbers and we have to call the people who have tested positive daily. We should inquire about their symptoms, and if someone needs to be admitted right away, we can do so with the ticket.” She also emphasised that if any assistance is required from a specialist, they can arrange the same for the patients.
Speaking about her experience, Dhanya stressed that, “Everyday, I make over 100 phone calls. There are still hospitals that give value to bills than people’s life. Many poor people do not have the money to pay for a hospital bed. They approach me, and I assist them in some ways with fund raising. I received a call from a patient’s son today. His father is a poor labourer who got admitted to a hospital in Bengaluru. Despite the fact that hospitals claim to have granted discounts, the final bill is in the lakhs. How can they pay it?”
She went on to say that people are now hesitant to donate because they have been doing it for a long time. “It is time for the government officials to step forward and assist these people, as well as take action against hospitals that are overcharging the poor. I also request everyone else to help one another in this testing time,” she added.
Dr Udaya Kumar Rao, Dean of Srinivas Institute of Medical Sciences & Research Centre said that, “Dhanya is one of our most dedicated and hardworking students. We are quite pleased to see her name among the top ten. She has been always interested in helping people through social work. We’ve divided the students into groups, which are led by the nodal officer so that they can reach out to people.”
Lavanya S, is a third year MBBS student at A. J. Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre, Mangaluru. She is ranked 10th in the list. Speaking to News Karnataka Lavanya said that, “I wasn’t expecting to be in the top ten. This is an honour for me, and I am pleased to see my college’s name on the list. For me, tele-monitoring has been a rewarding experience. After this accomplishment, I am extremely driven to make more calls and provide assistance to others.”
She went on to say that Fresh Desk, an app, is used to accomplish this. The Step One team is working with the government and has provided the students with training. “So far, I’ve contacted 652 people. I had got a few calls from people looking for a hospital bed. Through this app, I was able to coordinate with the patient and hospital,” she added.
Lavanya mentioned that a family member was recently struggling to find a hospital bed for an elderly relative who was having breathing problems. “That’s when I dialled their number, and they were provide with the bed. I am happy that I could assist them in some way so that they did not have to look for hospital beds on their own,” she added.
She hopes that more students will volunteer to help the needy in whatever way they can. “Try to reach out to as many people as possible so that we can all battle against this virus together,” said Lavanya.
Dr Ashok Hegde, Dean of A.J. Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre said that, “Approximately 6000 medical students around the state are collaborating on this project. Among these many students, Lavanya, one of our students, has placed in the top ten. This is a proud moment for us.”
He went on to emphasise that when people are quarantined at home, they have no idea what is going on. The students have been instructed to contact persons who are undergoing home quarantine and provide guidance based on the needs.
Indeed, small projects like this motivate and inspire young people to help the needy and fight Covid together.
