Hyderabad mosque-turned isolation centre to now treat post-COVID for free

Hyderabad: The 40 bedded COVID Isolation center at Masjid Muhammadi in Rajendra Nagar which catered to almost 165 COVID-19 cases in the last 50 days is now being converted to post COVID Care facility.

Patients with Long COVID, who require prolonged medical care will be treated at this facility free of charge. Over 40 to 50% of COVID patients in the 2nd wave are showing post-COVID complications like breathlessness, fatigue, loose motions, body pains, etc.

The post COVID complications require long-term care like O2 support, physiotherapy, nutrition, and medical management. The isolation center will not take any new COVID cases and admit only Post COVID cases on a daycare and in-patient basis.

After successfully treating 150 plus COVID-19 cases, they aim to focus on post COVID care free of charge as most patients who require long-term care are already financially and emotionally exhausted said Mr. Mujtaba Hasan Askari, of Helping Hand Foundation.

The 40-bedded COVID isolation center set up by a Rotary Club of Hyderabad Deccan, SEED USA & HHF, a group of NGOs, in a school within the mosque at Rajendarnagar, has treated 165 patients in a span of 50 days all free of cost, in which 153 patients have been successfully treated and the rest were referred to higher centers during the treatment.

The NGOs spent about 65 lacs till date in provisioning the services at this center which includes a one-time cost of setting up and also operational expenses

“Our plan is to carry out follow-ups of 150 plus patients on an outpatient basis and also admit other post-COVID cases,” said Dr. P. Shafi, Senior Internal Medicine Consultant.

With third-wave looking inevitable the NGO is planning to restart the COVID-19 Isolation if the need arises in a short time as the entire setup will remain intact and can start in a plug and play mode if required.

One of the post-COVID patients, Sainath (29), resident of Tarnaka, said that he is attending the OP sessions regularly and takes medication while following the diet and exercise plan given by the doctors in this center.