Practicing Medicine in COVID Times
Being available to one’s patients, whatever be the circumstances, is a physician’s key attribute When the COVID pandemic struck in the early months of this year, there was a sense of unrest, apprehension, and panic amongst the doctors and patients alike. While the healthcare sector was suddenly hit by a virus, which forced it to “lock its doors” to all others and focus single-mindedly on the COVID patients, the patients with other chronic ailments felt abandoned. As the lockdown was implemented across the nation as a desperate measure to prevent the spread of the infection, travelling to hospitals and getting their regular reviews done, became almost impossible. The key to optimum management of chronic lifestyle diseases includes regular follow up and monitoring of control with drug dose titration along with surveillance for complications. While most of these patients require monthly to quarterly follow up, with better patient education and empowerment, this could well...