MUMBAI: Three city hospitals-BYL Nair at Mumbai Central, KEM at Parel and Fortis at Mulund-have started dedicated post-Covid OPDs (outpatient department) to help patients deal with the lingering effects of the infection. Sion Hospital and a few other private ones are likely to follow suit as doctors see more patients with after-effects following discharge.
The OPDs at Nair and Fortis were started on Saturday. Nair Dean Dr Mohan Joshi said patients are grappling with breathing issues as well as neurological, cardiac and kidney problems. The hospital was the country's first medical college to be converted into a dedicated Covid hospital and has treated over 3,000 Covid patients. While problems of lethargy, bodyache, weakness have been found in several, many patients have also suffered from stroke to serious cardiac complications after discharge.
KEM dean Dr Hemant Deshmukh said the follow-up OPD will be led by the chest department as most people are returning with lung complications. "We plan to start it this week and are working on picking a day. It will be open to patients who have undergone treatment in private hospitals too," he said. The hospital is believed to have seen over 20 cases of lung fibrosis where the lung tissue is scarred. "We have had Covid patients coming with peripheral vascular disease, heart attacks. These are patients who have had a severe form of the disease and were on oxygen or ventilator support," he said.
At the post-Covid OPD in Fortis, a multidisciplinary team will assess the survivors post discharge on day 14, day 28, and in the third and sixth month. The OPD that will work every Wednesday and Saturday will make a detailed clinical, physical and psychological assessment of patients. Dr Rahul Pandit, head of critical care at Fortis Hospital, said they have noticed significant changes in patients who have battled Covid-19, like lack of exercise tolerance, disturbed sleep pattern, muscle wasting, lack of appetite. "While the neuropsychiatric implications like depression, insomnia, are immense, some of these patients tend to develop worsening of their existing comorbidities. We will re-evaluate pre-existing conditions too," he said.
Source - Times Of India
