Australian doctor set up Covid-19 clinic in rural India using Zoom calls

Heartbroken by the devastating stories he heard coming from India, one Sydney doctor didn’t let border closures get in the way.

A tech-savvy Australian doctor has worked tirelessly to train and set up a Covid-19 speciality clinic in the middle of India’s devastating second wave in a record 10 days.

Western Sydney Local Health District doctor Dr Dhaval Ghelani didn’t let border closures to India get in the way of life saving treatment by pairing up with a charity and training staff through video calls.

Blacktown intensive care specialist Dr Dhaval Ghelani helped set up a Covid-19 clinic in Dharampur. Picture: Supplied

Dr Ghelani, who is also the president of the Shrimad Rajchandra Mission Dharampur charity’s Australian faction, worked with the charity’s Indian mission to transform an old rehabilitation facility into a specialist Covid-19 clinic in the small Western Indian town of Dharampur.

The Blacktown Hospital intensive care specialist taught staff how to use ventilatory and non-invasive ventilation management in coronavirus patients via Zoom video conferences.

The hospital serves about 240 tiny villages around the town. Picture: Supplied

“Hearing the stories that came from there, my heart broke. These people that the hospital is serving are in remote tribal locations where the daily wage is $2,” he said.

Dr Ghelani, who is of Indian-Australian heritage, said he anticipates the real death toll of India’s horror second wave is much higher than reported figures.

Dr Ghelani used telehealth to train the staff in intensive care treatment of Covid-19. Picture: Supplied

The Indian-Australian doctor lost his own uncle to the virus. Picture: Supplied

“My uncle died of Covid-19 and I have heard of numerous stories of my friends’ families dying as well. The doctors I trained were quite keen and willing to learn and enthusiastic,” he said.

“They were so grateful for someone from Australia to talk to them and explain how to manage patients with Covid-19 who had low oxygen levels.”

The new facility has piped oxygen supply, ventilators, haemodynamic monitors, bilevel positive air pressure machines and an ICU ward.

It also has the only CT scanner that is available to patients in the 238 surrounding villages.

In addition to sharing his ICU expertise with the staff, Dr Ghelani is also raising funds for the continued support of the hospital.

“These doctors are putting their lives and their family’s lives at risk by treating seriously unwell Covid patients – the least I can do from here is help them in any way I can,” Dr Ghelani said.

Originally published as Australian doctor set up Covid-19 clinic in rural India using Zoom calls