The second wave of COVID pandemic took a toll on the people, with the rise in demand for doctors. A large chunk of the population could not even book appointments with the doctors, out of which the majority could not afford consultations and have tried to treat themselves without proper guidance. Considering the dire need to help the people get access to right treatment, right knowledge and with the aim to reach the ones who cannot afford the consultation fees, Sachhi Saheli announced a virtual OPD for the treatment of Mild and Moderate Covid cases from 11 am to 6 pm (open all days). The virtual OPD not only connected the panel of doctors to the ones who needed assistance in getting themselves the right guidance to cure Covid-19 but also extended its reach to assistance for pregnant, lactating and menstruating women.

The panel of doctors and their availability were as follows:

• 1. Dr. Surbhi Singh (Gynecologist-Obstetrician) (11 am-1 pm)
• 2. Dr. Renu Singhal (Gynecologist-Obstetrician) (2-4 pm)
• 3. Dr. Neelu Gandhi (Gynecologist-Obstetrician) (4-6 pm)

The Backhand Assisting Team consisted of:

• 1. Shahnaz Bano (Preparing prescriptions)
• 2. Shreya Sharma(Registration of Patients)
• 3. Rikita Narula (Counseling)

The protocol for the helpline services was as follows:

• The patient could connect with us through WhatsApp on +91 999917****
• The patient was required to share demographic details along with the following information: Date when Covid positive, Date when first symptoms arise, Pulse Rate, Oxygen saturation, Temperature, any comorbidity, any blood reports done.
• The patient was allotted a patient ID and time slot through WhatsApp message and was contacted by the team as per the schedule.

For aiding people with anxiety and apprehensions, a home isolation protocol for Covid patients, especially pregnant and lactating women was designed by Sachhi Saheli team. The patients received a follow up call post consultation and the ones who needed counseling services or help with the routine monitoring were also being catered. Furthermore, Sachhi Saheli also aided people belonging to unprivileged backgrounds with medical supplies and masks, free of cost. It also lent a hand to the patients by curating verified leads for oxygen and medical supply.

Apart from Covid related cases, Sachhi Saheli also helped people with immediate interventions in the case of co-morbidities like Diabetes, PCOD, Urinary Tract Infections, post pregnancy complications, etc. (only for those patients who could not contact their local doctor on immediate basis). In the time period of two months (April-May), the OPD services catered to approximately 300 patients of all ages, from different states like Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Mumbai, Hyderabad, etc.

This initiative was an eye-opening experience for the entire team of Sachhi Saheli. At the end of the second wave, every team member involved in the process had different experiences and insights to share.