Prayagraj: Amidst national lockdown online platforms comes handy for doctors and patients

PRAYAGRAJ: At a time when the patients of Sangam city are facing challenging times during nationwide lockdown, the online platforms have come to their rescue. While the authorities of Moti Lal Nehru Medical College (MLNMC) of the city have started a free-of-cost phone-in OPD and helpline service, there are many other doctors who are helping their patients through sms and whatsapp and even through Skype.
For many of the denizens, who may be suffering with anxiety and depression and also with the ever looming threat of pandemic, a team of physiatrists of MLNMC have started a free-of-cost phone-in OPD and helpline service for such needy patients.
This online OPD and the helpline would be functional for around Ten hours each day and those who have any of the above-mentioned problems can call the on-duty doctor, informed MLNMC officials.
“The OPD/helpline will remain active between 9am and 7.30pm every day and a team of two psychiatrists will be working on shift duty in pairs on a rotational basis to provide help to the needy”, said Prof VK Singh, head of the psychiatry department of MLNMC.
This free service is being started in light of the fact that usual OPDs are now no longer functional in all hospitals and people are facing a unique situation of having to remain locked indoors with the danger and threat of getting sick with the coronavirus, he added.
The head of the department further said that in light of the prevailing situation where everyone is anxious and scared, the service will remain operational all seven days a week till the end of present lockdown period (April 15).
“A lockdown can be a difficult and complex time, as nobody is used to isolation. However, if we organize our time and set a certain schedule with activities, we can take full advantage of this time,” he added.
Likewise, many of the general physicians of the city too have come out with online consultation and OPD. These OPD’s are being run free of charge and with the help of various social platforms.
“I have asked all my patients to WhatsApp me or text message me their problems and although many of the new cases, especially the one with complicated history, cannot be handled but still many of the simpler ailments and those who are under my treatment are guided through this”, said an eminent physician of the city, Dr Kamal Kumar.
Likewise, there are doctors like Dr Prakash Khetan who have been performing surgeries during these challenging times. “Many of the patients, who have already under treatment consult me by calling or through WhatsApp but what about those who need immediate surgery, such patients are being operated even during the lockdown time”, said Dr Khetan, an eminent neurosurgeon of the city and who had performed around half a dozen operations and saved precious lives.