The Ladakh Heart Foundation started by a monk named Lama Thupstan Chogyal over a decade ago to address medical, especially heart-related problems, of Ladakhis is now battling the deadly coronavirus.?
Ladakh's health department asked the foundation¡¯s help in setting up an isolation ward. ¡°We have a facility and it was needed for people of Ladakh. The government wanted to run it on its own and we readily acquiesced,¡± says Chogyal.
The LHF usually has four doctors, mostly volunteers who treat around 500 to 700 people every month; teams of doctors would also travel to reach patients in different villa?ges across the region.?
Speaking to The Better India Chogyal said, ¡°We agreed to cooperate with whatever the administration required of us. A couple of days after I was first notified of this requirement for our hospital and facilities, I received a call about a patient they were bringing in. Since this is a free hospital with volunteer doctors and nurses, we requested the local administration to deploy some of their medical staff with us as well to monitor suspected cases here."
Despite the lack of single rooms, Chogyal¡¯s hospital is helping the administration quarantine suspected cases as much as they can.?
Talking about how the hospital is dealing with crisis Chogyal says. "We are helping our doctors, nurses, cleaners and ambulance drivers in whatever capacity so that they can perform their duties without fear. I am at the hospital 24/7 to help the local administration in whatever capacity."
It¡¯s the presence of children in the isolation ward that brings tears to the eyes of Lama Thupstan Chogyal, 49, president of the Lad?akh Heart Foundat?ion.?¡°These children should be playing and enjoying life in the open, under the open sky. And here they are. Their cries are heart-wrenching,¡± says Chogyal.
Three children¡ªaged two to two-and-a-half years¡ªbelong to a family of eight who have been quarantined in the LHF after two members tested positive for coronavirus, especially a 68-year-old-man from Chuchot village, around 20 km from Leh, who had ret??u??rned from Iran on February 26 and developed symptoms of COVID-19.?
¡°At this present moment, however, we have suspended all outreach programs because of COVID-19. We have also shut down our OPD because a lot of our patients are pregnant women," Chogyal told The Better India .?
Chogyal expressed his gratitude for the people who are fighting the pandemic on the frontline saying, "I would also like to issue my gratitude to those battling on the frontlines of this epidemic¡ªdoctors, nurses, hospital cleaners, ambulance drivers, police personnel and airport/airline staff as well."
For now, Chogyal strongly believes that the pandemic is a test for everyone at the hospital, from the equipment required, isolating and treating patients and constantly disinfecting the rooms, he says it's a learning lesson to be well prepared for unexpected scenarios.?