The orientations on Infection Prevention and the audio visual aids related to donning & doffing of PPE provided by USAID Vriddhi team acted as salvage at the time of danger
Staff nurse, Ms. Teresa Hembrom has been working in the District Hospital, Ranchi since 2005 and currently as Assistant Labor Room Incharge. She has been actively involved in providing the maternal health services, and during the COVID-19 pandemic as well.
On 15th April 2020 at 9:30 am a 26 year old pregnant woman (Sabina) from a COVID-19 hotspot area visited the facility with labor pain. A regular checkup (BP, Pulse, Temperature, FHR) was done as per the guideline along with doctors. And now it the staff nurse’s prime responsibility to prevent other staff, environment and other patients at the facility from infection along with conducting the delivery.
The health workers collected PPE kits from the Civil Surgeons Office and helped the staff nurses for donning using the ‘PPE donning & doffing’ video provided by USAID Vriddhi – District Technical Consultant on 13th April’20. The team was ready with all the PPE on for a pregnant woman who was then taken to the isolated delivery room identified for COVID suspects & infected women. After the delivery, the health workers provided the patient with routine postnatal care.
All together 8 staff nurses and 4 sanitation staffs were involved in the process of delivery and till discharge. The mother was discharged on 17th April evening. After discharge the labor room, ward and other areas were sanitized.
USAID Vriddhi project has been supporting the NHM, Jharkhand in orientation and capacity building of staff from all the 24 districts and with focused attention on health facility staff of 19 Aspiration Districts of the project as response to handle COVID-19. The team has been continuously engaged with staff of the health facilities for orientation on the Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) practices through IPC module in the Laqshya Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) in the LaQshya identified facilities & also using the infection prevention module in the safe delivery app (SDA). Also the guidelines, audio visuals are constantly being shared with the providers. The orientations, audio visual aids and guidelines has improved the knowledge and confidence among the health care workers for in carrying out activities in a changed work environment.
