Private neighbourhood clinics shut, patients struggle to treat minor ailments

Most hospitals have opened their outpatient departments (OPD) for non-Covid patients but the fear of contracting the infection is keeping people away.

Even though Delhi has gradually unlocked over the past three months amid the Covid-19 pandemic, residents from across neighbourhoods complain that general practitioners are yet to open their clinics for consultations.

Patients with Covid-19 symptoms also complained they are facing difficulties in getting prescriptions from doctors to get tests done.(Sanjeev Verma/HT PHOTO)

Most hospitals have opened their outpatient departments (OPD) for non-Covid patients but the fear of contracting the infection is keeping people away.

Naveen Upadhyay, 67, a resident of Dwarka sector 4, said local clinics have not reopened since the lockdown was enforced on March 25. He is severely diabetic and his wife needs regular consultation for high blood pressure.

“My wife fell ill two weeks ago and we wanted to get her BP checked and consult a doctor. But the clinic where we usually go has not opened yet. My son checked for doctors in the area but none have opened up. Finally, we managed to get a phone consultation but my wife could neither get a physical examination nor her BP checked. I have bought a BP monitoring machine now to avoid such instances of emergency in the future,” Upadhyay said.

Upadhyay is not alone. Many people from all over Delhi are facing such problems. Private clinics, mostly located in residential areas, are primary health care service providers in several neighbourhoods for mild ailments such as flu, minor aches and pains and regular checkups. People also prefer visiting local general practitioners to avoid the hassle of visiting a hospital.

Mrinalini Chatterjee of south Delhi’s CR Park said she experienced a bout of headache and vomiting last week but she was forced to go to a private hospital.

“I waited in the car until my turn came because I was scared of contracting an infection. In large hospital set-ups, it is difficult to ascertain how many people gather. There should be some guidelines asking private clinics to resume services. Coronavirus might continue for a few months, does that mean people with other illnesses will be left to fend for themselves?” Chatterjee said.

HT tried contacting 30 private clinics across the city to know how many were open for consultation. Nine were providing phone consultations and six were open for a physical check.

Dr Amit Pradhan, who runs a private clinic in IP Extension, said he has not opened his clinic since the lockdown to avoid crowding. However, he has been providing consultations through video conferencing. In cases where physical examination is necessary, home visits are also provided.

“This is just a precautionary measure. My clinic is a small space, which often gets crowded in the evenings. No one wants to shut their business and sit home, but these are extraordinary times and doctors, like any other professionals, are trying to find a way to get through,” Pradhan said.

Patients with Covid-19 symptoms also complained they are facing difficulties in getting prescriptions from doctors to get tests done.

Sudhir Pal, a retired army official, who lives in north Delhi’s Pitampura, said his 29-year-old son was experiencing typical Covid-19 symptoms from June 23. However, it took them a week to get a prescription from a local doctor.

“The first three days, my son’s condition was very worrying. We kept insisting we should get a Covid-19 test done but the doctor kept postponing it, saying he will monitor the situation for some more days. On the eighth day, we got a go-ahead and on the ninth day he was tested and ended up positive. It will be hard to explain what we went through in those days. When I am willing to pay for the test, why should I have to run from pillar to post to get an approval?” Pal said.

A senior official of the union ministry of health and family welfare said the idea behind directing states to allow private practitioners to prescribe coronavirus tests was to increase testing and make tests more accessible to people.

“It would depend on the state government on how they are pushing private doctors to engage patients with symptoms and prescribe testing. Many are opting for online prescriptions after observing symptoms for over three days and that is a good way to follow,” the official said.

A response from Delhi’s health minister Satyendar Jain’s office clarified that there was no restriction on the operation of private clinics. “We are encouraging most testing and OPD facilities in all Delhi government hospitals are open,” the response read.