Question

Discussion:

How the Coronavirus Has Negatively Affected the Medical Field

Answer 1

The healthcare sector is at the epicentre of this unprecedented global pandemic challenge, and the private sector has risen to the occasion, by offering to the government all the support it needs, be it testing support, preparing isolation beds for the treatment of Covid-19 positive patients or deploying equipment and staff in identified nodal hospitals.

The private healthcare sector is fully prepared for every eventuality, it is also a reality that, unlike other sectors, the sector is facing a twin-burden:

• Investing additional manpower, equipment, consumables and other resources to ensure 100 per cent preparedness for safety in the hospital and eventual treatment of patients, if needed.
• Experiencing a sharp drop in OP footfalls, elective surgeries and international patients.

COVID-19 is caused by a novel coronavirus—a new strain that was not previously found in humans. Symptoms include respiratory problems, fever and cough, and can lead to pneumonia and death. Like SARS, it spreads through droplets from sneezes and by direct or indirect contact with an infected person.

Impact on medical field

1. Community Awareness towards Hygiene will have positive impact in the long-term, though in the short-term likely to increase PHC burden significantly.

• This has led to very high levels of awareness and compliance to this seemingly small routine of clean hands but one which in the long run can have far-reaching implications for transmission of various other infections as well. All signs point to a protracted period of contagion and perhaps seasonal returning peaks as well, which means reasonably long cycle of special emphasis on hand hygiene, face mask, hygienic social habits and disinfection.

2. Gaps in Care of patients of other ailments, especially chronic diseases in the short-term can lead to long-term burden on healthcare.

• The entire system focused on prevention, diagnosis, treatment and containment of COVID-19 infection is likely to miss opportunities for timely diagnosis and treatment of other diseases.
• Patients of chronic disease, being wary of going out, or facing difficulties in movement due to lockdown restriction might miss on treatment, ending up with long-term sequelae.
• These can eventually increase the possibility of complications and worsening of disease, raising the overall burden of diseases.

3.  The Health Service Journal reported that an estimated 348,028 working days had been lost due to stress, anxiety and depression.

4.There has been a sharp increase in demand on the health service, healthcare professionals are having to work in PPE for long-periods of time, and the number of patients dying is also on the increase.

5. Pharmaceutical companies will have to brace for cost escalations,  due to coronavirus measures at ports would mean lower production and delays in shipping .

6.Put upward pressure on prices of medical devices in the short term.

7.The medical device manufacturers are finding it difficult to source important raw materials and electronic components.