Owing to overwhelming response to its allergy clinic, the authorities of Government General and Chest Hospital at Erragadda have decided to run the clinic on Saturdays too. Till this week, it was open to people on Wednesdays only.
The allergy clinic was inaugurated on October 6. Primary reason for opening the facility clinic is high costs: tests for the allergies at private hospitals ranges around ₹ 10,000 to ₹ 15,000, and each injection for the treatment costs around ₹ 10,000. The total cost might range from a few thousands to lakhs of rupees. This would be offered free of cost at the government hospital.
Superintendent of the Chest Hospital Dr Mahaboob Khan said that they have expected around 50 people to consult the doctors in a day. “But 90 to 100 people are consulting us in a day. It takes 15-20 minutes to check on each patient. We have decided to keep the Allergy Clinic open on Saturdays too from next week. We have four to five doctors there,” said the superintendent.
Patients from across the State, cutting across economic lines, have sought the medical services. Some of them have incurred heavy cost for consultations and tests at private hospitals. Assistant professor, Dr Nalini Ghanate, said that they treat respiratory allergies including bronchial asthma, allergic rhinitis, and other associated conditions. The doctors earlier said that they attend allergies related to skin, respiratory issues. The tests available are spirometry, FeNo, skin prick test.
During the first visit, patient’s medical history (related to allergies), food s/he eats, and other factors are gathered. Depending on the type of allergy, either a diagnosis test is conducted, or doctors list down possible triggers of allergy and suggest patients to observe the cause.
From October 6, around 80 skin allergy tests were conducted. Dr Khan said that most of the cases are related to mixed allergens: more than two causes. The cases will be observed for two more months and jot down the allergies that most of the patients are suffering from. “There after, we will get immunotherapy solutions,” he said.
