How pandemic brought lives of non-COVID patients to a standstill

Express News Service

CHENNAI:  While those with COVID are the most affected during the last one year, delay in getting access to healthcare facilities has been detrimental to several non-COVID patients as well. On one hand, many were turned away from hospitals, and on the other, patients themselves refrained from seeking medical help leading to severe health issues, say doctors.

Fear of contracting the virus has led to the worsening of other diseases among people. Dr S Soundari, Head of Medical Services, Dr Agarwal’s Eye Hospital, told The New Indian Express that many of her patients have been approaching her hospital only when their vision if almost completely affected.

“Earlier, people with cataract will sense that something is wrong while driving or reading, and rush to the hospital. But now they come only when their vision is almost gone owing to mature cataract. They are scared to come to hospitals even though they know cataract removal can be performed the same day,” she said.

She added that the situation is worse when patients with Glaucoma or Diabetic Retinopathy ignore their illness. “At least cataract is largely reversible. But if patients do not call on doctors when they start losing vision, see flashes or floaters, they may lose their sight once and for all,” she said.

Sharadha, a resident of Chrompet, said that she had an upset stomach for a couple of days and treated it with home remedies. “I continued taking home remedies even when it worsened into diarrhea because I was scared of going to a hospital. But after four days, I even started fainting. I had to be taken in an ambulance and admitted in the general ward for three days,” she said, adding that she could have avoided it if she had consulted a physician earlier.

The problem is, however, more common in rural and peri-urban areas compared to urban centres. A study by Anna J Dare in 2020 pointed out that a dialysis centre was at least 50 kilometres away for almost 60 per cent of Indians.

Rural areas in Tamil Nadu have better access to primary healthcare compared to rest of the country. However, when it comes to secondary and tertiary healthcare, they have to travel to bigger towns or cities. During the peak of the COVID first wave in the State, many city hospitals reported an increase in emergency cases of non-COVID patients as well.

This year, the trend is relatively lower as city-dwelling patients have switched to tele-consultation, says Dr Pradeep G Nair, senior cardiologist from The Guest Hospital. “I attend to most patients on video calls now,” he said adding that even among those in cities, new patients who are experiencing symptoms of a disease for the first time, tend to procrastinate treatment waiting for the situation to get better.

Dr Shwetha Rahul, dermatologist and aesthetic physician from Hydra Dermatology Clinic, agreed that the trend exists and said that a lot of new patients come-in with flared up symptoms. “In case of psoriasis or autoimmune conditions, many don’t even realise it is an issue until it worsens,” she said.

However, she added that the problem was worse during the first wave as people were not used to tele-consultation then.

Nurse succumbs

CHENNAI: Indira, a 41-year-old nurse working at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital died without responding to Covid treatment on Sunday.