NON CORONA DISEASES AND THEIR FATALITIES HAVE NOT CHANGED BY THE CORONA TREPIDATION

By Dr Dilip Kumar, Medica Superspecialty Hospital

 Pune, 31 Aug, 2020: Challenges become multifold if we start reacting to a crisis instead of responding to it, And  that is  exactly  what is happening in todays CORONA times.  People with heart attack and heart blocks are taking chances at home in fear of acquiring CORONA infection, knowing fully well that odds  of dying from these critical  illnesses is far more than having harm from corona . At the same time chances of acquiring infections when  proper precautions are taken is minimal, more so the mortality rate after COVID is around 3% but the mortality rate in untreated cardiac emergency  is around 90%. How can we describe this behavior and thinking process ? This is simply the intimidation controlling the logical thought process of people.

We have become much wiser in terms of understanding the disease COVID in last six months. The chances of serious outcome from corona is gradually coming down and we have some drugs which at least can provide some relief and help in recovery. Also we are better prepared in terms of hospital facilities for sick patients and more quarantine centres for the asymptomatic ones . If we put it all together this becomes clear and evident that critical non corona diseases have killed more patients over last few months, that too was only because of the  trepidation and unfounded stigma of this tiny organism.

A Lancet study reported that more than 7,000 people died every day in India because of cardio vascular diseases in 2016. The condition has only worsened in subsequent years.

Between January 30, when the first case of Covid-19 was reported in the country, and May 3, the last day of the second extension of the lockdown, it is an estimate  that about 24 lakh people have died in India and one of the biggest contributor was cardiovascular diseases. This is all developing into a dangerous whirlpool with patients and family members indulging in an  attitude of procrastination in these days

Lets look at the brighter side, Almost every hospital has made changes in their standard operating procedures (SOPs)  dealing with medical  emergencies in present crisis time to give the most efficient management protocol ,as in our hospital (Medica Superspecialty Hospital) a patient with heart attack or heart block receives angioplasty and pacemaker even before  the  result of COVID test is known. All the precautions are taken simultaneously to not to spread the infection to any other person (healthcare workers and fellow patients). Once the patient is given the necessary life saving  treatment he is then shifted to the category of wards as per his  COVID status. 

So it is high time not to throughway lives of critical patients only because of the fear of virus which is going to be tamed soon with the development of vaccines.. The definition and importance of Golden hour in treatment of heart attack has not changed in these times. So better to avoid the delay and we know it well that -TREATMENT DELAYED IS TREATMENT DENIED!