OPDs shut, elderly patients feel helpless

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, March 27

Since the OPD services at hospitals have been shut down as a precautionary measure amid Covid-19 threat, patients are facing a tough time. The worst affected are the elderly persons who are getting restless and want to see a doctor at the earliest.

A senior citizen, Jagannath Bansal, from Urban Estate in Dugri, said he was having a urology condition but was unable to go out to see the doctor.

“I contacted my homoeopathic doctor but he said he was closed. Then, I was told that Dayanand Medical College and Hospital has also suspended the OPD services. I need to get my tests done but don’t know where to go,” he said.

He added he contacted the helpline number and he was told that the nearest CHC staff would contact him.

When Bansal was asked to contact the doctor over WhatsApp, he said how could a doctor treat him without seeing him and getting the tests done. I want to see the doctor,” he said.

Similarly, a patient, who is undergoing treatment from a city-based psychiatrist, said he was out of medicine since yesterday and his doctor was closed.

“The medicine is available only at his clinic. Neither the DMCH pharmacy nor any other chemist in the city has the medicine. The doctor says he was closed. Now, where do I get the medicine?” said he.

Another resident, Ramandeep Kaur, said she had been contacting the phone numbers of the chemists provided in the list by the administration.

“These numbers are either switched off, or the chemists don’t have stock, or else they don’t have the facility of home delivery. They are asking callers to come and pick the medicines as going out is not possible for them. Under such circumstances, I don’t know what to do,” she said.

Only emergency OPDs are operational at present.

Appeal by IDPD

Dr Arun Mitra, vice-president of the Indian Doctors for Peace and Development (IDPD), has appealed to the government to allow the hospitals to run routine OPD services. Since OPD services are not functional, patients are finding it hard to access doctors. This will add to the already prevailing health load. Some big hospitals should be earmarked to take care of Covid patients while the small and medium health sector institutions/clinics should be allowed to run routine OPD services.