The challenges the medical community is facing

New Delhi, July 1 July 1 The year 2020 belongs to doctors and the healthcare workers who are risking their lives to fight the lethal, invisible virus Covid-19. While India stays at home to curb spread of the pandemic; armed with masks, gloves, and protective gears, the medical community is working tirelessly round the clock amid mounting pressure, fear of being infected and harassment and discrimination.

As we celebrate National Doctors day on July 1, life spoke to a few doctors who talk about the several challenges they face during this pandemic.

Dr Manoj Goel, Director, Pulmonology, Fortis Memorial Research Institute Gurugram, says the most challenging part is "communicating with patients and keeping them motivated". He tells life: "I have seen patients who feel discouraged by the thought that they will have to be isolated away from their families and cannot meet them or see them. Handling such patients, we doctors have to become a part of their families till the time treatment goes on."

Dr. Inder Kumar Kasturia, Consultant, Family Medicine, Aakash Healthcare, Dwarka, adds: "Patient education to a group of people, who have to start or continue their work to maintain their livelihood, is important because it enables them to save themselves from the risk of getting infected. Since the manifestation of Covid-19 is different in different patients, the management also should be flexible as we cannot generalized the same management for every patient."

The increase in the number of patients and decreasing number of medical staff as they are falling sick and getting quarantined is another challenge posed in front of them, points out Dr. Inder.

Due to this, pressure on the medical staff has increased. "I personally have close to 19 working hours in a day. When not seeing the patients physically I monitor them through tele consult and tele- ICU. There is a risk of staff being infected because they work in close contact with the positive patients. I have seen that scare in my staffs eyes... As the disease will spread further I know the challenges will further increase," states Dr. Goel.

"The pandemic has tested the mettle of healthcare organisations and workers. Creating awareness about this virus amongst their employees, especially non-clinical support staff or even paramedics is very challenging," says Dr Gauri Agarwal, Director of Seeds of Innocence

( With inputs from IANS )