Inclusive Healthcare: An Initiative to Provide Affordable or Cashless ICU Treatment to Marginalized Communities

Introduction
Introduction In 2007 a group of six young medical graduates from Osmania Medical College Hyderabad founded YAGNA , an NGO to offer holistic education, free food and housing to destitute children and affordable healthcare to the rural poor and underprivileged. YAGNA began what was an improbable mission with nearly no resources but armed with passion and commitment to serve. The yagna story is on yagnaindia.org YAGNA established a 120 bed Maa Sharda Hospital in Vikarabad, one of the most backward districts of Telangana in India with a population of around 2,50,000. In these rural areas many lives are lost every year owing to lack of adequate emergency services,curative, preventive and diagnostic medical care most of whom are in the low-income group YAGNA has made a true impact on the ground in offering rural healthcare at a fraction of the cost charged in corporate hospitals in the metro areas. In the past year they treated:
– Over 3000 outpatients
– Handled 600 Admissions
– Performed over 300 Surgeries
– Over 175 COVID patients successfully treated in May-June 2021 The surgeries performed include
– Laparoscopic abdominal procedures
– Endoscopic Urology procedures
– Surgical Gastro procedures
– Surgical Oncological procedures
– Neuro & spine surgeries
– Orthopedic procedures- open & arthroscopic
YAGNA has been conducting free weekly rural healthcare camps that cover 14 neighboring villages since 2018. With the above points in mind, the team of CPR group visited the hospital and agreed to help set up a 10 bedded ICU unit at Maa Sharda Hospital, that will provide affordable or cashless treatments to the marginalized strata of their area. Spherule Foundation was appointed as the implementation partner for this project in December 2021.

Activity Timeline
December 2021
Visit by Spherule Foundation to Maa Sharda Hospital

During our visit to Maa Sharda Hospital, we found that the hospital has premises available for setting up the ICU but civil work needed to be done. The dedicated team of Maa Sharda Hospital showed us around the hospital as continuous patient flow was managed by the other staff.

Soon, the 2 MoUs were signed between the CPR group and Spherule Foundation, and between Spherule Foundation and Yagna respectively, which laid down key roles and responsibilities of each party, the scope of work, duration, uses of grant and payment schedule, along with other necessary clauses. The equipment required to set up the ICU was as follows:

January 2022

For the above equipment, the FundRaising process had already begun from CPR team from USA as well as from India. The funds were transferred to Spherule Foundation as per schedule and the vendor selection process started.

February 2022

For every equipment mentioned above, the team of Yagna and Spherule Foundation connected with multiple vendors for best prices and best after sale services. After negotiating for best possible prices, the vendors for every line item above were decided and purchase orders were being sent out.

March – April 2022

By Mid March, some of the equipment was already delivered and a soft launch was possible, where the patients could start availing benefits of the newly set up ICU.

19-20th March – Soft Launch of the ICU

With over 80% of the equipment delivered, and most of the civil works complete, the ICU was capable of handling a variety of patients.

Mr Krishna Kottapalli of the CPR team was present during this auspicious occasion.

28th April 2022
The CPR Team and Spherule Foundation Team too visited Maa Sharda Hospital for the final inauguration. We had an in depth discussion with doctors of the hospital as well, about the roadmap ahead to increase patient count in the coming weeks.

Patient Flow
● On 18th May, the 1st patient was admitted to the ICU.
● As of June 15th, 25 patients have been admitted to the ICU.
● 1 Patient got complete cashless treatment. Remaining 24 were treated at an extremely affordable cost.
● Till now, 20 patients have used the Dialysis Machine.
● Currently 1 Medical Officer, 3 Nurses and 4 trainees are full time deployed at the ICU. There are several visiting doctors as well.
● Surgeries are performed every Friday & Tuesday. Hence patient count is gradually increasing.

Expected Impact

● With 6 to 7 surgeries taking place every Friday, a 50 to 60% constant occupancy rate is expected to be achieved soon.
● Tele consultation is being started with a private firm of doctors where constant monitoring of ICU patients will be done by Maa Sharda medical team, and expert consultation will be done on video call, thereby, a wider variety of ailments can be catered to in the ICU.
● With more branding activities planned in the nearby villages, patients from different towns are too expected to get treatments here.
● 80 to 90% occupancy is expected to be achieved by year end.