Tamil Nadu: Library inside Covid-19 hospital to 'de-stress' patients

Most Covid-19 patients get glued to their mobile phones for long hours to beat loneliness while in isolation. And to wean them away from smartphones, a government hospital here has set up an exclusive library to enable patients to swap gadgets for old-fashioned books.

Set up in an area of 500 sq. ft, the library at the Government Covid-19 Hospital inside the King Institute campus in Guindy boasts of around 1,700 books in English and Tamil.

Novels, comics, science, self-improvement, mental health, and biographies— the library has collections from several genres, besides 10 newspapers and magazines in Tamil and English.

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Another distinct feature of the library is that most of the books have been donated by Covid-19 survivors who were treated at the hospital. The library has been set up by converting a conference hall located close to the elevator, which makes it easy for patients to access the facility.

“Since they are cut-off from the outside world, Covid-19 patients use their mobile phones excessively to keep themselves engaged. And a few people were reading books that they had brought with them. That is when we decided to set up a library so that more patients can take to reading,” Dr K Narayanasamy, director of Government Covid Hospital, Guindy, told DH.

The library not just keeps book lovers busy but also gives them an opportunity to interact with others. Open for three hours each in the morning and evening, the library has become a hit among asymptomatic and mild Covid-19 patients in the hospital, Narayanasamy said.

10 to 15 people are in the library at any given time during the working hours and many come in the morning to read newspapers. The hospital, which has a total of 750 beds, has treated thousands of patients, including bureaucrats who were infected with the novel coronavirus.

“Books usually de-stress one’s mind. And the library has become a good centre for patients to engage with others and share their experiences. This way, they can keep their mind free and feel that they are not alone. They also feel they are at home,” Narayanasamy added.