Interviewtimes 
Prasmita Gochayat, co-founder of Svasthya clinic
As the country deals with the Covid-19 pandemic while the healthcare system across the country is stretched thin by mounting cases, the ‘Sabyasta Clinic’ in Bhubaneswar is striving to reach out to the people for timely diagnostic and treatment.
The clinic had its beginnings just a few years back, but today it is known for its diagnostic healthcare services in the city as well as a wide-reaching network across semi-urban and rural areas of Bhubaneswar through hundreds of small clinics.
The clinic provides testing facilities at the most convenient points for both the urban and rural populations, including the downtrodden. The Sabyasta clinic has been on a spree to get the most people tested to detect the Covid virus and mitigate the risks on time since the outbreak last year. The clinic has also been educating the unaware mass in the area on the consequences of getting infected and ways to prevent it.
During our interview with Prasmita Gochayat, co-founder of Sabyasta clinic, we learned about her perspective about the ravaging virus which has caused so much damage to mankind.
How and when did the clinic get started?
The clinic was started in 2017 by four friends including my husband and me. One of us, Dr. Pawan Kumar Jena, is an emergency medicine specialist and another friend, Dr. Parthasarathi Jena, did his MD in Blood Transfusion. Our goal was to strengthen quality in healthcare. It was my brainchild and the brainchild of my husband Samanya Gochhayat, who studied laboratory medicine at AIIMS, Delhi. As his core competency is Laboratory and our core working area is Laboratory, we started the Laboratory along with a clinic with some good doctors.
Have you managed to reach out to rural as well as urban pockets of Bhubaneswar?
We started slow, but after two years people became aware of our brand and we could reach a bigger group. Today, we are able to redeem our credibility to a considerable extent. As a result, we have gained trust from the rural areas through the establishment of small clinics in remote villages, assisted by doctors and laboratories. We are reaching out to many people in remote locations due to which the government is unable to reach.
In a time of Covid crisis, how was this clinic helping the downtrodden?
We are presently collecting samples for covid tests in addition to other tests, since the people in the rural belt have little access to diagnostic services, specifically RT-PCR tests. We believe we have assisted somewhere in helping those in the semi-urban and rural areas.
What confusion is currently occurring regarding Covid-19?
It is a very new disease in our healthcare system. Even the doctors don’t know which strain is coming from which strain of virus. There is no consistent symptom to diagnose covid, so the only method to do it is to test people. Most people are unaware of the consequences of the virus. The best possible way to avoid confusion is to be aware, take precautions consciously, and get tested when you show symptoms.
What are the precautions needed with Covid-19?
Covid-19 is an infectious agent. It also requires precautions that are similar to those used during the influenza outbreak, such as covering the mouth and neck while coughing, avoiding touching faces and mouths, washing one’s hands and feet after coming home from outside, and maintaining general hygiene. These things have been instilled in us since childhood, we just need to keep them straight. We should wash our hands more frequently, keep water bottles separately, make sure we don’t touch babies or young children with untidy hands, and avoid purchasing food packets from outside.
We have seen people who are still infected even after taking vaccines. Furthermore, there is a shortage of oxygen and beds, so are we to expect the same thing this year?
The healthcare system itself was already very outdated considering the number of people here. Even a government is not able to completely throw out the old healthcare system within a year. With the population we have now, it is difficult to change that now. Government of India has given a lot of boost to healthcare in the last four to five years. We have improved but we are still not ready to deal with such a scenario. For example, there are still many people without health insurance or with health insurance that is not centralized. Healthcare can’t change overnight, so the government cannot change things overnight either. However, at least we work toward herd immunity by managing the current number of patients in health care. People who have co-morbidities also have other illnesses or are at increased risk, so we can only provide them facilities, but the destruction the virus is causing can’t be stopped. No one can be blamed for that.
Is Covid-19 virus going to change its face in the near future?
The virus has a greater impact this year compared to last year. Even children are getting affected due to lack of awareness. In addition to that, the hospitals are also overbalanced. Let’s be honest, if not for herd immunity, we would be nowhere. We believe by taking all precautions, as well as setting up new hospitals, the government will be able to fight the virus faster than anyone else. I believe we can push it through and fight it out.
Although anti-bodies are developing, people that recovered from covid once are still at risk of getting infected for a second time. What is the probability of recovering from it or avoiding it?
It all depends on the state of health and how effectively the patient’s body will fight off the virus. People are still taking Covid lightly. First, we need to acknowledge it as a disease. Secondly, we will have to take targeted and timely measures. People should know when they should go for a test, when they should consult a doctor, when to get a CT scan. There should be a schedule for its release to help patients do the necessary if necessary. I suggest the government take steps to develop such a schedule.
By Subhra Kar
