Doctors’ Day 2020: What do physicians fear and expect while treating COVID-19 patients?

Today, on National Doctors’ Day, let’s take a look at the challenges faced by doctors while treating COVID-19 cases and the cooperation they need from patients’ families

By: Jahnavi Sarma | | Updated: July 1, 2020 1:39 pm

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Also Read - Doctors' Day 2020: Help your doctor treat you better in the era of teleconsultation

With the COVID-19 pandemic ravaging the world, doctors have emerged as the frontline warriors. They have been working selflessly and untiringly since the beginning of the global health crisis. The last few months have seen them sacrifice much in the name of duty and service. On the occasion of National Doctors’ Day, it is our collective duty to salute these heroes who work day and night to keep us alive. Dr. RK Mani, Director, Strategy and COVID-19 Management, Yashoda Superspeciality Hospitals, joins us today on Facebook Live to speak on the challenges faced by doctors while treating COVID-19 cases and the cooperation they need from patients’ families during these trying times. Watch the video to know his views. Also Read - Doctors’ Day 2020: Expert tips for patients and physicians to get along with each other

National Doctors’ Day is all about celebrating these healthcare professionals and acknowledging their tireless services to society at large. This becomes especially essential as we stare a pandemic in the face and rely solely on doctors’ to keep us alive. Doctors’ Day is observed in memory of Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy, who was also the second Chief Minister of West Bengal. The recipient of the Bharat Ratna on February 4, 1961, Dr Dr Roy’s birth and death anniversary falls on the same day, i.e., July 1. He was born in 1882 and died in 1962. Also Read - Doctors’ Day 2020: Four pandemic heroes share how they maintain their work-life balance and keep themselves healthy

Today, on National Doctors’ Day, let’s take a look at the challenges faced by doctors while treating COVID-19 cases and the cooperation they need from patients’ families

Stress and fear: The constant companion of COVID-19 doctors

It is not easy to put everything on hold and give everything that one has to help others. But this is exactly what doctors are doing today. Despite the stigma attached to COVID-19, doctors are working tirelessly among patients and doing their best to emerge victorious in the fight against the virus. Because of this, stress and fear have become their constant companion.

As Dr. Partap Chauhan, Director, Jiva Ayurveda, says, “Being a doctor at the time of an emergency as today can be very stressful both physically and mentally. If you are a doctor, Ayurveda, yoga and meditation are potent tools that not only help you deal with the physical aspect of stress, but these also work on the psychological and emotional levels. Let’s be strong, healthy and happy and help the nation emerge from the shadow of the pandemic.”

Doctors constantly face the threat of catching the infection and passing it on to their own families. Many doctors today have isolated themselves from family to keep them safe. This is just one of the many sacrifices that they are willingly making while caring for COVID-19 patients. This is despite the fact that there are currently poor and under-researched guidelines to protect them from infection during treatment and also a scarcity of good quality PPE.

Challenges on the work and home fronts

Dr Yatin Mehta, Chairman, Institute of Critical Care and Anaesthesiology, Medanta, The Medicity, says, “During this tough COVID time, there are lots of challenges that we face – challenges at work in the Intensive Care Unit, challenges at home on the family front and challenges with the patients’ families. The work environment is very tough. In the Intensive care Unit, we have to don the full personal protective equipment which is like a spacesuit. We sweat in it, our full face is covered, and for the 6 to 8 hours that we work in the Intensive Care Unit, we cannot even go to the washroom or have a sip of water. So, you can imagine how tough it must be not just for doctors but also for nurses.”

The challenges don’t stop there. When a doctor goes home, he or she may have children and elderly parents in the house. It is difficult to stay away from them. As Dr Mehta says, “The recommendation is not to be in close proximity. But how does one do that in an Indian family setup?” All this can add to the mental trauma of an already overburdened physician who has to work without a break for sometimes up to 18 hours in a day. Many doctors acknowledge that the psychological trauma under the present scenario can take a toll on mental health and they need to constantly guard themselves against this.

Doctors need a little bit of cooperation from patients’ families

Dealing with the family members of patients is the third challenge according to Dr Mehta. As they are not allowed to be with the patient, they are agitated. This, coupled wit others factors has led to various instances of violence against doctors during recent times. “It is difficult for us to help them communicate with each other because we are not allowed to carry our phones inside to the 22-bedded COVID care unit for fear of contamination. So, these are things that patients’ families must understand. Everybody’s doing their best. So, they have to be more tolerant and expect less communication skills from doctors in these trying times,” he adds.

The lack of a definite cure for COVID-19 makes the work of physicians all the more difficult. They need to put in more effort and also calm down anxious patients and their families. This is why they expect a little cooperation from patients and their families. Dr Rajesh Kumar, Founder & Director UDGAM – A Mental Healthcare & Rehabilitation Centre Consultant Psychiatrist & Psychotherapist at MAX Super Speciality Hospital, Delhi, says, “Family members can help a doctor in these trying times by accepting the diagnosis and prognosis by staying strong and emotionally calm. He says that they will be helping a lot if they take care not to flout safety measures if they visit hospitals and avoid unnecessarily disturbing the doctor.

Published : July 1, 2020 9:15 am | Updated:July 1, 2020 1:39 pm

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