Donated ambulance helps Chimbel PHC beat Covid

PANAJI: The Chimbel primary health centre has teamed up with the village panchayat and a social worker to make it easier for people in the village and neighbouring areas to get tested.
After an appeal by resident and social worker Ana Gracias, the NGO Street Providence offered a small ambulance free of cost to facilitate the testing of elderly, homebound, persons with disabilities, and children.
The panchayat takes care of the driver’s salary, petrol and PPE kits through the mamlatdar and collector.
The ambulance picks and drops residents from Chimbel, Merces, Curca, Bambolim, Santana and neighbouring areas, said Gracias, who has been volunteering as an attendant. It also transports them to Covid care centres.
“Sometimes, people are afraid to touch their own family who are positive, or transport them in their own vehicles,” said Gracias. “Others are old and have no means of getting to the health care centre.”
This service has proved beneficial to residents who sometimes have to be transported several kilometres to get tested. Since testing is not done everyday at all health centres in the area, people have to be shifted to Santa Cruz and Taleigao accordingly, she said.
Chimbel sarpanch Chandrakant Kunkolkar said that the ambulance service, along with efforts by the health centre, panchayat and BLOs, has contributed to bringing down cases in the area.
The ambulance service is provided on the directions of the health centre. “We only transport patients who are asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic. We cannot take the risk with chronic cases, as they require oxygen.”
“We cannot expect the 108 ambulance to provide this service, as they are very busy,” Gracias said. “Some taxi drivers are also afraid of taking patients. That’s why this ambulance is useful for those who cannot afford to travel.” Having a woman attendant in the ambulance allays the fears of other women, she says.