With the outbreak of the coronavirus, comes the post-illness care which seems to be vital given that the impacts of the novel coronavirus can have long-lasting impacts. In view of the situation, three hospitals in the city have initiated the post-COVID-19 OPDs (outpatient department) to help COVID-19 warriors battle with the lingering effects of the coronavirus.
The idea of the treatment is based on three key pillars, namely, clinical assessment, psychological intervention and rehabilitative care. Detailed clinical assessment will help in dealing with the residual impact of the infection. Physical rehabilitation will help the researchers to understand the impact on mobility, exercise tolerance and muscle weakness. A psychological evaluation will also play a big role in addressing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) amongst those who have battled severe effects of COVID-19.
Therefore, three dedicated hospitals, namely, BYL Nair at Mumbai Central, KEM at Parel and Fortis at Mulund have initiated these OPDs to understand the short term implications of the disease post the recovery period.
This initiative is being spearheaded by Dr Rahul Pandit, Director-Critical Care, Infectious Disease Specialists Dr Anita Mathew and Dr Kirti Sabnis along with Dr Charudatt Vaity, Consultant-Intensive Care, along with mental health experts and physiotherapists.
The multidisciplinary team will assess the survivor's after they have recovered and been discharged under this post coronavirus health-check program. This first of its kind OPD will be hosted on Wednesdays and Saturdays every week, at the hospital. The rehabilitation program will also include counselling of the COVID-19 survivors about blood plasma donation for convalescent plasma therapy.
Convalescent plasma therapy involves using the blood of people who have recovered from the infection as it contains antibodies. Medical practitioners can separate the plasma, one of the blood components that contain such antibodies, and administer it to people whose bodies are currently fighting the infectious disease. This can help their immune systems reject the pathogen more efficiently.
When asked about the importance of the rehabilitation program and the post-COVID-19 OPD, Dr Rahul Pandit, Director-Critical Care, Fortis Hospital, Mulund and a key member of Maharashtra’s COVID-19 taskforce, said, “We have noticed significant changes in patients who have battled COVID-19, like lack of exercise tolerance, disturbed sleep pattern, muscle wasting, lack of appetite, etc. While the neuropsychiatric implications like Depression, Insomnia, etc. are immense too, some of these patients tend to develop worsening of their existing comorbidities. A panel of experts will be required to thoroughly assess post-COVID-19 complications, normal follow-ups are not enough. Re-evaluation of pre-existing conditions will be key to gauge the disease impact before and after COVID-19; for example, a diabetic who pre-COVID-19 had X Insulin dependence, may now require X+/- the amount of Insulin, same for those with Hypertension. Rehabilitation will have to be planned as per each patient’s recovery status, and observed over a course of 6 months,”
Speaking about the launch of the dedicated post-COVID-19 OPD, Dr S Narayani, Zonal Director, Fortis Hospitals, Mumbai, in a statement, said, “Our medical teams were one of the first to join the city-wide fight against COVID-19 in early March 2020. Responding to the call of duty, our teams collectively cared for over 2000 COVID -19 positive patients over the past four months; of this, a big percentage of patients needed acute critical care. We are now entering the next phase of COVID-19 care with the post-COVID-19 OPD, where COVID-19 survivors will be rehabilitated back into their daily lives by providing clinical, psychological and rehabilitative care,”
Furthermore, the team can be contacted on 9167001122, for appointments.
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