Nexus of Good

"There is no higher form of service to humanity than giving a dignified send-off to people rejected by their own."In the present times, social distancing has become the buzz word and action to follow, both from the alive as well as the dead. There seems to be no respite for the people even after their unfortunate demise from this disease as many individuals have refused to cremate the bodies. In such trying times, there is one individual along with his family who has taken the onus upon himself to perform these actions. Kartar Singh Lehari, a patwari has volunteered to cremate the bodies of people who have died due to this disease. Since April 2nd, when he cremated the famous spiritual singer, Padma Shri Nimral Singh Ragi. Toll today, he has cremated another 21 bodies that have passed away due to Covid.Lehari faced resistance from the residents of the area surrounding Verka Cremation ground, when he was asked by his senior officials to find a cremation ground for Ragi’s last rites. The patwari, along with the ambulance driver and the helper, under the full guise of PPE kits took Ragi’s body in an ambulance and prepared the pyre.Lehari has the full support of his wife, Jaswinder Kaur, a teacher and he has now made it his mission to help in the cremation of the patients that died due to this disease. Given the large amount of misinformation as well as the social stigma around the cremation of the people that died due to the disease, a number of families tend to disown and abandon their loved ones. Lehari is slowly seeing a shift in the attitude of people with families willing to come down to the cremation grounds but he still sees a long way to go.To watch their interview, please visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=38&v=uFMUcPodgDg&feature=emb_logoThe story has been extracted from https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/amritsar/he-cremates-abandoned-covid-victims/articleshow/76500455.cms

“In situations like these, it’s important to help each other. We can truly overcome such adversity only as a community. By offering my services, I became a responsible citizen by doing my duty, as well as earning some money.”, said Vidya who lost her job. Vidya was passionate about driving since she was a child and learnt how to drive at a very young age. Her husband Anil runs a small business of transporting good but supporting the entire family single-handedly is a challenge in Mumabi, which is the reason she started her profession as an autorickshaw driver. Her passion made her go ahead with the job as a driver to support her family in a better way in a place like Mumbai. However, continuing the job as an autorikshaw driver was quite a problem especially with regards to security, and therefore decided to shift. Her work was a constant source of joy to her but things went south when the COVID-19 lockdown was announced. Like many others in the country, Vidya too, lost her job.From Adversity to OpportunityLosing her job meant that they would now earn half the amount they were which was laregly spent on children. It was quite a hit for them, but they were not ready to back down. Vidya wanted to turn this adversity into an opportunity for the people in need, her family and herself. She decided to help people, who were stranded due to the lockdown to reach their homes safely by charging minimal money for that. She started this service on March 28, and has helped almost 200 people so far. With the train and bus services shutting down, many were struggling to travel back to their homes. She realised the gravity of the situation and decided to do something about it. Her husband already had a car that she was using on the job, so she took it out, shot a video message announcing her services to those who needed it, and circulated it on social media. In a matter of 10 minutes, Vidya began to get calls for pickups. From senior citizens, pregnant women to families from migrant labourers, the cab driver helped them all, and drove to the farthest corners of Maharashtra to get them home. This shows us the correct use of social media in these tough times.One of the passengers has shared how her service helped him when he thought there was no way out. "I am deeply grateful to Vidya for helping out when there was no option available. My wife and I would be stuck in Mumbai if it wasn’t for her. She not only dropped us to our village in Jalna, but also helped make the e-passes. Additionally, she did all of this while also following all the safety protocols”, says Sunil Sadam, who was working as a daily wage worker in Mumbai.Since she's a mother and a wife who has to back to her family, she has to be careful of the virus. She adhered to the safety guidelines and made it mandatory to wear masks inside the cab and carried a bottle of sanitizer and extra masks for those who did not have them. Also, she would only take two passengers, except children, in the back seat of her car. No one was allowed to sit in the front seat, owing to the norms of social distancing.Helping Hand in times of NeedVidya charges only Rs 12 per km, one way for the journey, and also provides a return journey, if required, for free. She has also helped arrange for e-passes for her passengers. She has shared a story which has made her realise the importance of her service. She says, “There was a pregnant lady who approached me for a 160-km-long ride back home to Junnar. She was alone and did not have enough money to afford the travel, but was in a critical state, awaiting delivery any day. The municipal hospital had turned her away due to lack of vacancy, and she couldn’t afford any other hospital. So I managed to quickly make her an e-pass and started the journey. We were only some 10 kilometers away from her house, when the authorities at the checkpost denied entry to her, despite having all the documents right. Thanks to the help of another samaritan, a truck driver transporting agricultural goods, I managed to board and send her home after taking extraordinary measures. That is one incident I can never forget.”We can call Vidya the true hero of humanity, who goes the extra mile to make the lives of others better and also manage to support themselves. She a true example of an individual who is fulfillng the ISR. You can support Vidya or reach out for help, by getting in touch with her at: 7900071050.  The story has been extracted from: https://www.thebetterindia.com/231919/coronavirus-hero-covid-19-lockdown-mumbai-cab-driver-migrant-labourers-elderly-pregnant-women-india-ana79/

In the current health crisis that we all are in, being anxious and worried about our health and our family’s well-being is quite prevalent. In such times, the role of community-health workers, who continue to be on the frontline providing care, treatment and information, becomes much more amplified.As the world is learning to live safely alongside coronavirus, HPPI across its various projects is reaching out to the most vulnerable members of our society.  In Ranga Reddy, Telangana, HPPI’s Community Development Project implemented with support from Johnson and Johnson is continuing to improve the quality of life and health facilities in 95 villages, covering a population of 143,289 people under the project ‘Strengthening Anganwadi for Healthy & Educated Communities’.Launched in 2015, the project strengthens the healthcare capacities and provides health awareness and early child care services at 151 Anganwadi Centres and 37 Government health sub-centres by capacity building of the frontline workers. ASHA workers and Auxiliary nurse midwives (ANMs) engaged in Government sub-centres are trained to extend awareness and quality services for pregnant women and new mothers, a service they have continued to provide during the lockdown period. Project staff members in collaboration with government authorities and community-level health workers are actively raising awareness through door-to-door visits as well as using technology to maximise their reach. While technology plays a vital role in expanding the reach of the intervention, the vital human connect is crucial in case of prenatal and postnatal support. More than 250 community-level health workers including doctors, Anganwadi accelerators, ASHA workers and ANMs are working to inform community members including children and pregnant women about the importance of social distancing, having a nutritious meal and washing hands as frequently as possible. Starting with monthly meetings, 20-30 ASHA workers and ANMs are being trained in a staggered manner at the local municipal office so that social distancing can be maintained at the primary health centres. These women then go door-to-door and provide information to the expecting mothers on the importance of immunisation, a balanced diet, how to practice safe measures during lockdown, post-natal care etc.  To maximise the information and awareness about the coronavirus, Anganwadi accelerators have now made posters on Covid-19 awareness which they send to the Anganwadi Teachers, ASHAs, ANMs and Women Health Group members in the villages through WhatsApp. The Project Health Clinics have also stayed open for patients with all the staff wearing PPE kits for safety. The temperature of each patient coming to the clinic for the doctor’s consultation is measured and they are asked to wait for their turn by keeping proper social distance. Additionally, the health team at the clinic is ensuring every patient washes/sanitises their hands before entering the clinic. In villages where visits by the healthcare staff are not feasible, doctors are offering tele-consultation services via phones.Being safe and aware is a continuous effort and our project staff are regularly spreading awareness about protection from coronavirus, its symptoms and testing. At a time where staying inside our homes is one of the only ways to remain safe, the hardwork and dedication of the community-level health workers who are at the frontline is really commendable. 

Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Jan Arogya Yojana (MJPJAY) was launched on 02.07.2012. Earlier only 85% population was covered but under the universal scheme: As per GR dated 23.05.2020 now the entire 100%  state population is covered under MJPJAY. The Insurance cover per family per annum is 1.5 lakhs (2.5 lakhs for renal transplant)for MJPJAY & 5 lakhs for PMJAY. Network of Hospitals Total empanelled NWHs: 967 (287 Public & 680 private)Minimum 2 NWHs are being empanelled per talukaA (100%), B (90%) & C (80%) grades for multispecialty and A (100%) & B (90%) grades for single specialty‘A’ grade with 100% rate allotted to all the Public HospitalsHospitals in neighboring states are being empanelledOne grade higher to the hospitals in tribal, hilly and aspirational districts (Osmanabad, Gadchiroli, Nandurbar & Washim)Number of beds required for empanelment brought down     from 30 to 20 beds for hospitals in tribal, hilly and aspirational districtsBest practices and innovations 100% packages are preauth basedAround 98% Preauths & Claims are processed within stipulated TAT of 12 hours and 15 working days respectivelyRs.63.78 crore unspent IEC amount was recovered from insurance company in June 2018Premium rate per family per annum was brought down from Rs.690 to Rs.640 in Feb.2019Appointed Super Specialists  & Specialists to review the cases to prevent the fraud and abuse of the packagesClinical Protocols for evidence based treatment/package selectionEvidence based adjudication guidelines and mandatory investigations - for preuth and claims processingFollow-up Medicines to eligible beneficiaries till 1 year2 Tier monitoring SystemArogyamitras deployed by TPAs in each NWH to assist the beneficiariesHealth Camps to create awareness about the schemeChairmanship of Central claims committee, Empanelment Committee & Preauth technical committee is with SHASRegular visits to NWHs by CEO, SHAS and other officials from SHAS, Insurance Company &  TPAsBiometric attendance System for monitoring  of the field & PO teamPeriodic rotation of Arogyamitra from hospitals to hospitalsPeriodic rotations of SHAS field officersStringent fraud deterrence process.Social Audit Mechanism- Beneficiary Feedback MechanismPre-recorded voice message of Hon.Chief MinisterSMSes are sent to all beneficiaries in local language at various stages during the hospitals stayDynamic Grading of the Hospitals- Package rates linked to Grade so as to maintain the quality24X7 dedicated Call Centre with 32 lines monitored by SHAS & 24X7 Grievance redressal systemHosting web services on Cloud EnvironmentRe-appeal system for claims rejection & deductionRefund of excess premium from Insurance Company, if ICR is blow 85%3 separate open e tenders were floated: Insurance Company, Call centre & IT CompanyTransparency In Processes24X7 Online Preauthorization & Claims SettlementsEmergency Telephonic Intimation Service – For emergency Treatment (Accidental treatment, CVTS,   Cardiology Treatment)Technical Committee to review rejected preauthsRepudiation & Central Claim Monitoring System (Amount approved in CCM is around Rs.16 crore)Online Empanelment Process Coordination Empanelment Disciplinary CommitteeCOVID 19 CareTotal 20 packages under Pulmonology, Critical care, Nephrology & Pediatric Medical ManagementTill date 3378 COVID positive patients have availed benefit under the integrated schemeCharges of private hospitals restricted as per the notification dated 21.05.2020 (80% regulated beds and 20% non-regulated  beds)CEO, SHAS is monitoring authority in the state for the implementation of the notification dated 21.05.2020In response to the notification dated 21.05.2020 till date 65 grievances have been received and resolved. Due to intervention of SHAS till date Rs.13,37,578 waived off from the bill amount/ reimbursed  back to the patient’s familyCommittee chaired by CEO, SHAS finalized the COVID 19  test cost : Cost brought down to Rs.2200 from Rs.4500Emergency Telephonic Intimation (ETI) provided to maximum cases in the light of lockdown amidst COVID 19 pandemicIn ETI cases limit of 5 working days extended up to 70 days for submission of documentsPhoto copies of ration card & photo ID and images received on WhatsApp are also acceptedRation card generated through website of the website of Food &  Civil Supplies department is also consideredAround 500 additional hospitals empanelled in the first week of April 2020210+ COVID hospitalsFree COVID test in empanelled hospitals under scheme packagesGovernment  to acquire private ambulances/ vehicles and fix transport charges for such acquired ambulances for citizensUpdates as on 23.05.2020Universal scheme: MJPJAY scheme benefits extended to  the families who don’t have any ration cardFamilies who don’t hold any ration card can avail benefit on the basis of domicile certificate/Tehsildar certificate along with valid photo IDCEO, SHAS has an authority to relax the documents required for availing the scheme benefits120 Government reserved procedures opened for private hospitalsAdditional 67 diagnostic, minor & major procedures for private hospitals (includes procedures like Delivery, Caesarian section,  ECG, X ray, 2D Echo, Endoscopy, USG etc.)

Started in 2002, Vidal Health has become an integrated healthcare services player catering to the entire healthcare value chain capable of addressing of healthcare markets across the globe, We are among the leading providers of Third Party Administration (TPA) Services with our strong medical expertise, existing state of art technology for risk assessment and administration; provide outstanding customer service by delivering an end-to-end solution for Claims Administration & other business features for our customers and end users Health being a state subject, different states had different arrangements for healthcare delivery for the needy unaffordable population, till a common system through AB PMJAY was introduced in 2018. AB PMJAY provided the broad governing principles and framework, with states free to choose their implementation models, necessitating mutual analysis and exchange of best practices through the now available common platform called NHA to provide the best possible benefit to the beneficiaries.Backed by long term experience in running various State Schemes, the best practices of different states under the aegis of AB PMJAY have been brought together to aid in improvisation of practices and replication wherever necessary. Preauth & Claim processing forms the core of any Scheme, with best practices such as strict adherence to established protocols, preventing experimental treatments, double check of qualifications of Doctors certifying the investigation reports and administering treatment, mandatory procedure videos for interventions such as PTCA, Clinical Photos with Insurance Coordinators to prevent fraudulence in cyclical cases such as Dialysis, calling all patients to ensure the genuineness of their symptoms/treatment. The success of any mass Scheme lies in accessible, efficient, quick and humane Grievance redressal mechanism. For instance, the Monday 3pm Grievance meet of Tamil Nadu Scheme is widely acclaimed, this is supplemented by monthly Hospital Nodal Officers’ Meets, Need More Info meets to clear pending queries. Audit & Abuse Control mechanism plays a major role in preventing fraud and ensures that only genuine claims are paid for. Inputs from varied sources such as Inbuilt Triggers in the portal, Preauth & Claim Processing teams, Field audit teams, concurrent & post claim audit, interaction of Insurance Coordinators with patients, verification till the last detail such as Hospital Pharmacy stock registers, hospital infrastructure audits Viz Dialysis Unit, Cath Lab, attendance registers etc supplemented by periodic evaluation and training aid in payment of genuine Claims and corrective action against erring hospitals. A Hospital grading system (in addition to NABH accreditation) based on available infrastructure with corresponding package rates and payments, motivates hospitals to climb up the Grading ladder and upgrade their infrastructure to provide better services to beneficiaries in the long term. Advanced treatment packages such as PTCA, CABG, TKR, THR, Transplants etc. may be enabled only after the hospital provides evidence of positive outcomes.  Serving wide geographical areas wherein natural calamities are common, Crisis preparedness and provision of seamless services during natural disasters achieves the objective of best service irrespective of the nature of crisis. Continuation of services in coordination with beneficiaries, Hospitals and Government authorities was witnessed most recently in the current Covid 19 pandemic wherein patients requiring cyclical treatment Viz Dialysis, Chemotherapy, Radiotherapy etc. haven’t missed their treatment schedules and thousands of Health Camps were coordinated. Knowledge is a treasure but yields fruits only on practice. Innovation and strategizing is done on a continuous basis, churning out Best practices to tackle state specific challenges. With our long-term experience in handling different state Schemes and Schemes abroad, we cross pollinate the best practices across various states for best outcomes, ensuring the best of health to all eligible beneficiaries. 

AI-powered Drishti for ensuring Social DistanceDRISHTI is an AI driven indigenous, innovative and plug & play solution relying on Real Time Image recognition and Video Processing and is capable of detecting the instances of violations of Social Distancing, Face Mask wearing and if the number of persons at a place are more than the threshold values.To contain the spread of COVID-19, the Central government announced lockdown measures in four phases and the citizens were advised to stay at home. Detailed guidelines were issued for permitting different activities in different phases of lockdown with a focused approach to mitigate the spread of disease. For providing the much needed thrust to resume the economic activities, India has initiated the process of unlocking, the Unlocking Phase-1 started from June 1st, 2020 with number of activities permitted outside containment zones. With country now in unlock phase and normal activities to become a ubiquitous norm again in many parts, certain measures like Social Distancing, mandatory face masks in public places and self-awareness are going to play a pivotal role in keeping citizens of India safe.Technology-driven innovations and solutions amid the COVID-19 situation have helped India to handle and contain the pandemic in a way better than many other countries. Now the task of ensuring social distancing norms, face mask and crowd management in the new normal is going to be the most crucial one in the fight against the pandemic for India. Next-gen technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Image-recognition may be leveraged for enforcing and maintaining Social Distancing and for detection of violations of mandatory face masks in public places.DRISHTIThe timely Lockdown in the country has helped to contain the pandemic at a level, now the Technology driven enforcement and monitoring of the social-distancing norms has the potential to put India ahead in global scenario again. A team of young Officers of Indian Telecommunication Service (ITS) took the challenge to design a comprehensive system using the Next-Gen technologies and DRISHTI (Digital Real Time Artificial Intelligence System for maintaining Social Distancing with Timely Intervention) is born. DRISHTI is an AI-based system having Tri-Netras (three digital eyes) – first for detecting social distancing violations, second for Face Mask related violations and third for checking the count of persons present at a public place to maintain gathering within permissible limits.DRISHTI is an AI driven indigenous, innovative and plug & play solution relying on Real Time Image recognition and Video Processing and is capable of detecting the instances of violations of Social Distancing, Face Mask wearing and if the number of persons at a place are more than the threshold values. This in case of violations generates live alarms and announcements at the public places like Airports, Railway Stations, Bus Terminals, Hospitals, Crowded market places and in Public transport. DRISHTI will provide much needed live feedback and alerts to public to stay at a minimum of 6 feet (2 गज की दूरी) distance from each other, to wear face masks and not to over crowd the public places.As per Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPRD)-2019 reports, India has more than 4.27 Lakh CCTV cameras available with the Police across the country. Moreover, the total number of CCTV cameras installed in public places is approx. 10 Lakh. The tier-1 cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Pune have the largest number of CCTV cameras.DRISHTI utilizes the existing CCTV camera ecosystem and works on 3-pronged approach. It takes the feed of any CCTV camera installed at public places in the real time, identifies all the persons frame by frame through Image/Video processing and utilises the potential of Artificial Intelligence to develop a real time picture of distance among all the persons captured in the frame. The Engine calculates the Real Time distances among all the persons and raises alarm if the distance between any two persons goes below permissible Social Distance limit.Further it checks whether a person is wearing Face Mask or not while entering a public place like Airport, Railway station, Hospital, and Shopping malls utilising the concepts of facial features recognition.Moreover, it also provides a check on the number of persons entering and exiting a public place for enforcing real time technology driven crowd management e.g. if number of persons in a shopping mall should not be greater than 100. This in turn will trigger the Public Addressing System to generate an announcement/alarm in real time to the public present at the place as well as to the authorities there to take immediate action for violations.DRISHTI: Features and Use-casesAn integrated – comprehensive solution to ensure Social Distancing norms in Public Places like Airports, Railway Stations, Bus Terminals, Hospitals, Crowded market places and Public transport etc. to strengthen the fight against COVID-19. DRISHTI can detect the compliance of Social Distancing norms, face mask norms and number of persons allowed at entry- exit and assembly points of Industrial organization, factories, work-places, Malls, Super-markets, Cinema halls, Metro trains, PDS and grocery shops and other areas. An indigenous,open and zero cost platform designed by a team of ITS Officers.Plug and play solution which can be locally hosted in the CCTV controller of Public place CCTVs, making it ready to deploy and easy to use. Real time Public Addressing System alerting public and authorities to take prompt action for cases of violation of Social Distancing norms.Integrating the conventional CCTV and Public Addressing system with DRISHTI will bolster the effective monitoring of Social Distancing with minimal human intervention. Snapshots from live videos- captured analyzed and reported for Social Distancing Norms Violations by DRISHTIConclusion and way forwardTeam DRISHTI strongly feels that the indigenous innovative solution may play a vital role in assisting the Governments at different levels, Local administration, Police authorities and Private organizations in leveraging the Next-Gen technologies like AI and Image recognition for Tech-driven enforcement of Social Distancing norms, norms of wearing face mask and crowd management as India enters a new normal in unlocking phase with a focussed approach on resuming the economic activities. Further this will not only provide impetus to authorities for ensuring safety norms at public places but also will make the people of country more responsible and alert as they don’t want an alarm to be rung on their carelessness.The authors are Officers of Indian Telecommunication Service. Views expressed are personal.