In the ICU of S. L. Raheja Hospital in Mahim, Aahil (Name changed) wanted to play his favourite game on the mobile phone. But since he was recently treated for a cancerous growth that was removed from his lower jaw, he could not speak. So, he used a special app to call a nurse who called his mother upon his request. His mother soon brought his phone after removing the SIM. And he was able to play on his mobile conveniently.
So, what app did Ahil use to express his wish...
The app is Vocalizer for Patients App which is designed by cancer surgeon Dr P Jagannath. The app has visuals with voice overs for about 60 common situations in ICU. It is indeed a brilliant initiative to help the patients.
Upon asking the need of the app, Dr Jagganath said, "Many patients here have an endotracheal tube that takes away their ability to speak even though they are conscious. Many surgery patients too cannot talk on the first day after surgery,'' So, in that case, this app would help the patients to convey about the common things like switching off the light or convey about the various other problems that they're encountering.
The app is funded by Dr Jagganath's NGO named, "Crusade Against Cancer Foundation". Further, multiple doctors appreciated the initiative that would be really helpful for the ICU patients to communicate about their well-being. They had also run the app on a trial basis for about 6 months on a patient named, Pulkit (name changed) who confirmed about the feasibility of the app.
Further, since the app is free, families can use it by downloading it on their own phones to communicate with their relatives in ICU!
The first patient to use vocalizer app was Sunil. He was studying for his MPSC exams and had an intense attack due to which he couldn't talk or walk. He was in the hospital for 75 days, out of which 45 days he was in ICU on ventilator support. All he could do was move his fingers and eyes. He started using the app to communicate with his parents when he needed a side change or when he was feeling cold. The app became his voice, when he had nearly lost his voice.
The app is available for both Andriod and iOS and can be downloaded from Google Play Store and Apple Store respectively.
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