HAPPINESS IS INFECTIOUS HERE

Surat: Faith injects miracles in ordinary medicines — something that the health workers at the Covid Care Centre at Samras Hostel in the city has proved, all of 442 times till Thursday!
Take for example, 29-year-old Mahendra Purohit’s case. This asymptomatic patient who runs a medical store in Kevdi village of Surat district, thought it was the end of the tunnel when he tested positive for Covid-19 in April. He was admitted to the New Civil hospital, but being asymptomatic, he was shifted to the centre in Samras Hostel. “All my misgiving disappeared as soon as I was shifted to the Samras Hostel. I knew instantly that I will get better her after seeing the manner in which doctors and nurses there kept motivating the people not to give into despondency. That was the biggest healing touch!”
Mubark Patel, a resident of Katargam in Surat, echoed Purohit and said: “I never got the ‘patient’ feeling while getting treated at Samras Hostel. Looking at how well the medical staff took care of us, I readily agreed to donate my plasma whenever they needed it.”
Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) had converted the Samras Hostel into Covid Care Centre where asymptomatic patients are being treated.
"Samras Hostel, which can accommodate 600 patients, has been given a touch of the quintessential family atmosphere that adds to the therapy. Emotional and motivational support adds to the medical treatment which is doing wonders for the patients. We have taken care of every aspect of the patients’ well-being, from yoga to entertainment and providing books and magazines,” Banchhanidhi Pani, municipal commissioner, Surat, told TOI.
Nital Shah, yoga expert from Mumbai, conducts two online sessions daily for the patients. Talking to TOI, Shah said: “I conduct 45-minute sessions twice in a day, morning and evening. I have designed a yoga session specially for the Covid-19 patients where they can do light exercises like deep breathing and basic stretching apart from meditation in the morning sessions. In the evening, we do Pranayaam.”
Puneet Nayyar, deputy conservator of forests (Surat), who is tasked with coordinating and managing Covid Care Centre in Surat said that the staff and patients also celebrate their birthdays with their dear ones through digital means. “It’s team work at Samras Hostel. The all-round cheer on all such happy occasions enliven the space and creates a feeling of cohesiveness and bonding between the patients and the staff. Total 442 patients have recovered till date. Patients too reciprocate the warmth by becoming willing plasma donors after recovery.”