Heartwarming stories from CMC's frontlines
Bus drivers, canteen managers, security guards, doctors, nurses, technicians...in a crisis, everyone contributes; everyone counts.
One thing that has been brought to the world’s attention during the pandemic is how much the actions of an individual count. To preserve or to destroy hard-won gains. CMC has always believed in the difference that one individual can make and has tried to empower employees across all levels with a sense of empowerment and ownership.
It probably goes back to a time when any help made a world of difference to a woman and her small dedicated team who were trying to change the world around them. Our founder, Ida Scudder, when working in the early 1900s, enlisted the help of anyone who could be trained, including the drivers of mobile clinics and village women, who would go on to become assistants and compounders. No one’s contribution was beneath her and she was rewarded with their loyalty and enthusiasm, despite no promises of material advantages.
Contents
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| In the driver's seat |
The final journey
|
| Shelter from the storm |
We will take care of you
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Cleanliness is next to godliness
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When a child is born
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| Out of my comfort zone |
Knowledge is power
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| Smile, Thank You, Please |
Safety first!
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| Messengers of Peace |
Treating people, not patients
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| Wisdom from a wheelchair |
Food for thought
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| The extra mile |
A state of emergency
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| How are your patients today? |
Give to CMC! |
In the driver's seat
I am a senior driver in the transport department. I am 58 years old and have learned a lot about commitment and dedication to work, in CMC. Read more
The final journey
The After Life Services (ALS) are a crucial part of CMC. Our duty is to arrange everything for the family after the death of a patient. This is the final stage of our journey on this earth. Read more
Shelter from the storm
The rumours and misinformation were especially hard to deal with. Patients came in
thousands to CMC asking for a letter which will allow them to travel. But no such letters
were permitted or authorised by the Government. Read more
We will take care of you!
When ICU patients gain consciousness, we worry they may be scared seeing a sea of blue and white 'astronauts' walking around them. However, one patient set us at ease by saying we look like ‘bommais’ (dolls) waddling around her! Read more
Cleanliness is next to godliness
The biggest worry for me is the sudden increase in the solid waste from the ward. We
used to collect 7 to 9 bags on a daily basis before. Now we collect 30 bags of waste every
day. The amount of laundry has also increased. Read more
When a child is born
We also receive patients in the ‘high risk pregnancy category’ who have been
referred here by other hospitals. At the joyous occasion of birth, the number of family
members with a new mother is restricted. The family is upset when we cannot bring out
the newborn baby for them to see. Read more
Out of my comfort zone
Once I wear the PPE, I don’t leave for a break, for water, food or even a bathroom break, as it means doffing the PPE and then repeating the safety measures all over again. In the heat of Vellore summer, the sweat drenches our clothes and the plastic PPE. Read more
Knowledge is power
When she was being prepared for delivery, she was so worried – "who will take care of my little girl while I am in labour?" Normally her family – father, grandparents, aunts and uncles – would be there. But now, we became her family. Read more
Smile, Thank You, Please!
Our work at the Out-Patient Department (OPD) is vital as we are one of the first contacts for a patient. How we talk to them sets their first impression of CMC. Read more
Safety first!
When CMC was setting up the first triage clinics for COVID-19 patients screening, I was asked to be at the triage area gates...One main reason is because I speak six languages - my mother tongue Telugu, Tamil, Bengali, Hindi, English and Malayalam. Read more
Messengers of Peace
How does the ethos of CMC help us address the challenges of COVID-19? For 120 years,
CMC has been providing compassionate care to the best of our ability, without counting
the cost. We see ourselves not only as medical professionals but also as
messengers of peace. Read more
Treating people, not patients
Some senior citizens don’t have mobile phones, so they are extremely lonely. “You are
like our grandchildren,” they tell us. While the panic around COVID-19 is very real, we get
a chance to do our every day duty as doctors. Read more
Wisdom from a wheelchair
I started self-isolation as I had
fever, fatigue and breathlessness. On 25 April 2020, as a pro-active move, I decided to
go to CMC Vellore, the place where I had my spinal cord injury rehabilitation in 1990. Read more
Food for thought
Our canteen outlets were closed and so we delivered food within the entire hospital
and staff residences. We supplied food for stranded patients under the Manna
Meals Scheme. We catered to the doctors working in the COVID-19 wards. Read more
The extra mile
Sometimes it feels like we are looking at the virus with a magnifying glass but missing
the real problems of our patients. They have lost their income...There is so
much stigma and discrimination... As doctors we have to understand these factors and how they affect the recovery of our
patients. Read more
A state of emergency
We have a limited
resuscitation
team, so each of
us is now an
expert
multi-tasker. We have
learnt to play
multiple roles...We go forward prayerfully and
reach out to everyone of our colleagues for help and support during this crisis. Read more
How are your patients today?
I am an asthmatic, so I take extra precautions. I have two children under the age
of five years. Every day, my daughter asks me “Amma, how are your Corona
patients today?” I tell her they are getting better. Read more
Get 'Messengers of Peace' - all these stories together, available for free download in one pdf
Helping COVID-affected patients, as best as we can, poses many challenges for us - including the ongoing challenge of finding adequate money for buying PPE, building infrastructure and so on. We ask for your much-needed support during this time of crisis.
Give to CMC!