Woodlands has stepped outside the hospital premises so that Kolkatans seeking treatment and care do not have to step out of their homes in these difficult times.
The hospital has launched its Home Care initiative to bring to the doorsteps of the people of the city all modalities of care, including attendant and nursing services, doctor consultation, dietician care, diagnostic services, health check-up and various speciality care and physiotherapy – with the promise of top-of-the-line quality that is synonymous with the 75-year-old name of Woodlands.
An important trigger behind the move to launch the Home Care initiative was that Kolkata has a huge elderly population living alone needing healthcare at home, as a large cross section of the working population and students are based elsewhere in India or abroad.
“The need of physical presence of a trained and reliable person to assist the elderly and ailing living alone is something we are sympathetic to. The Woodlands Home Care programme will definitely address it. It will also ensure “continuity of care” for our admitted patients as they go home, like persons undergoing joint replacements and new mothers,” said Dr Rupali Basu, Managing Director & CEO, Woodlands Multispeciality Hospital. “Hospital stay can be reduced when a patient knows that a trained person from the hospital will be with him or her through the transition from hospital to home, till they are satisfactorily rehabilitated.”
The speciality care under Woodlands Home Care, includes Baby Care, Cardiac Care, Elderly Care, Neurology Care, Palliative Care, Post-Operative Care, Pulmonology Care and Tracheostomy Care. Medical devices like oxygen concentrators, oxygen cylinders and cardiac monitors can be rented under the programme while devices like pulse oxymeters and steam vaporizers can also be purchased as a medical kit. Every attendant, nurse, doctor or technician would be fully vaccinated and observe Covid protocols, the hospital authorities said.
A novel feature of the Woodlands Home Care programme is “Doctor Consultation”, under which a doctor would pay a visit at the patient’s home and conduct his clinical examination, like the old times reviving the concept of the House Physician. The “doctor at home” concept is something the hospital is excited to reintroduce. It will be a boon for persons with mobility issues and those who do not want to expose themselves to the elements to get a consultation or having challenges to visit the hospital, according to the hospital authorities.
It will be possible to book consultations for multiple members of a family while booking the “Doctor Consultation” under the specially devised Woodlands Home Care Programme both in physical and virtual mode.
According to experts, the launch comes timely with Covid numbers beginning to climb making venturing out of home a risky proposition especially for the vulnerable. A shorter hospital stay in any case means lesser exposure to infections.
