With the COVID-19 cases in Telangana on a steady decline, people seem to be stepping out of their homes to get a personal check-up for non-COVID health issues. Since a majority of the government and private hospitals were flooded with COVID-19 patients, people had, until now, put off hospital visits for other ailments and opted for virtual consultations with doctors.
Though the non-COVID out-patient (OP) and in-patient (IP) numbers are nowhere close to the usual figures recorded in pre-pandemic times, there is a noted increase since the peak infection period. And the rush is being seen at both both government and private hospitals.
In the government sector, Gandhi Hospital and Osmania General Hospital (OGH) are tertiary-care facilities where specialist and super specialist doctors offer consultations. During the first and second wave, Gandhi Hospital was turned into an exclusive COVID treatment facility and continues to be so even now.
OGH took the maximum load of non-COVID patients among government hospitals. Usually, in the pre-COVID era, around 2,500 to 3,000 patients used to register for OP consultations in a day at the hospital. This number dropped to around 800 during the peak of second wave. “Now, 1,600 to 1,800 patients are opting for OP services on a daily average,” said OGH Superintendent B. Nagender.
Director of Medical Education K. Ramesh Reddy said when the cases decline further, non-COVID services will resume at Gandhi Hospital too. However, the District Hospital in King Koti and Telangana Institute of Medical Sciences will continue to attend only COVID cases.
Government General and Chest Hospital in Erragadda was another health facility where only coronavirus patients were admitted. Now, non-COVID patients too are offered medical services. Superintendent of the hospital, Mahaboob Khan said they are now attending 150 to 200 non-COVID patients with pulmonary issues such as tuberculosis, lung fibrosis, lung abscess etc.
Chief medical officer at Medicover Group of Hospitals, Rakesh Prabhu said COVID and non-COVID patients visiting their hospitals are in the ratio of 1:3.
Secretary of Indian Dental Association-Deccan Chapter, A. Srikanth said that some dental clinics are ensuring safety of patients by taking most precautions such as maintaining ventilation despite switching on air conditioners and usage of UV-C light for disinfection.
“Our specialists wear PPE kits, masks, face shield, double gloves, googles and shoes covers, while performing procedures which involves release of aerosols or blood. The precautions are scaled down in case of procedures where aerosols or blood is not released such as taking imprints of teeth. All these precautionary measures cost a lot of money,” said Dr Srikanth.
