Navi Mumbai: National Burns Centre pushes for patient, employee mental health

The National Burns Centre at Airoli Navi Mumbai took a significant step towards upping its workforcersquos mental health quotient opening an onsite creche play area for kids and a fitness facility over the weekend The sprawling centre treats people with injuries from heat and flame and aims to try and give a nearnormal functional life to the survivorsSeveral special invitees spoke prior to the ribbon cutting for the new facilities on a late Sunday morning when AiroliSector 13 had put its best face forward Raindrops clung to the green everywhere and birds chirped within the verdant surroundings of the NBC Several inauguration invitees commented on the resortlike surroundings that put the serene into Sunday morningDr Sangeeta Ravat and Dr Sunil Keswani medical director NBC in the play area PicsSameer MarkandeSaid psychiatrist Dr Anjali Chhabria invited to speak at the function ldquoWhen we have a burns incident the person afflicted is not only physically scarred but mentally toordquo The doctor talked about a young cousin who was a burns survivor ldquoShe had to battle stigma and acted difficult as that was her way of expressing herselfrdquo she stated Chhabria reiterated that with these initiatives and pandemicinduced awareness mental health is getting the space it deserves in the minds of the people in planning policies and programmes of government bodies and institutionsChief guest Dr Sangeeta Ravat Dean of KEM Hospital said in her address ldquoThis is a beautiful centre and the new initiatives are indicative of a holistic approach to healing Treating burns patients is very challenging and delicate as they are extremely susceptible to infections We must also remember that patients have to leave their families and live here at times for three to four months I love the idea of a play area if we had a little more space I would like to start a play area for children at the KEM facility toordquoThe National Burns Centre at Airolirsquos Sector 13 PicsSameer MarkandeDr Sunil Keswani medical director NBC stated that a big part of patient management is making new facilities available to them but also factoring in healthcare workers ldquoIn public hospitals especially the ratio of nurse to patient is woefully short I know of places where the ratio is one nurse to 60 patients India cannot claim great strides in public health no amount of instruments or apparatus can cut it if the skilled workforce is so inadequaterdquoOpen seasonWith points made and wisdom dispensed it was time for the ribbon cutting The colourful creche for children of employees was opened as applause rang out ldquoWe have two lsquomaaushisrsquo from anganwadis to look after the kidsrdquo explained Keswani A play area was also opened adjacent to the creche its colourful paint palette appealing to kids ldquoThis is for employeesrsquo children and the children who are being treated here the burns survivorsrdquo said Keswani smiling as some children who were in the facility jumped excitedly as they got a first look of the play areaPsychiatrist Dr Anjali Chhabria left Dr Sangeeta Ravat Dean of KEM Hospital and Dr Sunil Keswani medical director NBC at the play areaA gymnasium was also opened Keswani said ldquoEmployees often say they spend long hours here and have no time to go to a place to exercise We are located in salubrious surroundings but for many commuting is timeconsuming so they do not need to go to the gym the gym has come to themrdquo As the ribbon was cut Dr Chhabria and Ravat picked up the dumbbells at the facility as those gathered cheered them onKeswani believes it is important to look at the workersrsquo happiness index too ldquoWe have trainers at our gym A fit person and a mind at ease when we exercise our brain releases the feelgood hormones called endorphins translates to a better workforce and consequently improved healthcarerdquo he stated The same thinking about putting the happy and holistic into healthcare had made Keswani oversee the opening of a butterfly park on the hospital campus a few years agoThe new facilities became operational yesterday with the gym especially putting a new spin into burns with a little humour This Centre not only treats burns patients but is now a place where staffers docs included can burn calories too