Support Samvedna to provide affordable post-Covid diagnostic services to daily-wage workers

For almost 19 years Samvedna Polyclinic has been bringing affordable healthcare closer to the residents of Makanpur village, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh. The area is home to a large number of poor households, particularly migrant labourers, working in the industrial units of Sahibabad and Noida and unorganised sectors like domestic help, E-Rickshaws, etc. The COVID-19 pandemic has led to an unprecedented loss of lives. More than 4 lakhs people have lost their lives in India (with an undercount factor of almost 5-10). Even as the country emerges from the deadly second wave, poor households are still struggling with post-covid complications. Some problems that have surfaced in those who have recovered from COVID-19 include heart problems such as Right Ventricle (RV) dysfunction (Heart failure) due to increased intraventricular pressures (due to lung disease/RV dysfunction), Myocarditis (inflammation of heart muscles) which may persist and result in heart failure and other issues such as pulmonary hypertension. Identifying such patients early helps in changing the post- COVID management strategy. Therefore, it is necessary that in areas such as Makanpur village, affordable facilities that help in identifying post- COVID complications are available to the community.

The role of Echocardiography is found to be quite relevant and important in COVID-19. The simple procedure which is done using an ultrasound machine can help in accurately identifying pulmonary effects and dysfunction of the heart. The campaign aims to raise funds for procuring an ultrasound machine and compensating medical staff and specialists such as a permanent ob/gyn at Samvedna Polyclinic. It is a well-established fact that people of this group (mainly informal workers) have been most affected economically due to the lockdown strategy applied by the government to tackle COVID-19. The echocardiography service would be at a nominal charge with respect to the market prices. This would benefit them by significantly reducing their out-of-pocket expenditure on healthcare while simultaneously maintaining their health

A large part of the community in Makanpur village cannot afford expensive consultations and does not have easy access to affordable and quality healthcare facilities. The vital primary healthcare services such as that of a Physician, Paediatrician, Gynaecologist, Clinical Psychologist, Clinical laboratory, etc. help the community with timely medical needs and ensure proper medical care during emergencies. An ultrasound machine will add to these facilities by bringing radio diagnostics closer to their doorstep. It will help not only in post-covid cases but will also be beneficial for women in the area as they will not have to travel far for diagnosis. The funds will also help us get specialists such as a permanent ob/gyn at the clinic.