NEW DELHI: Even as 1,200 people were put under home quarantine after they came in contact with a mohalla clinic doctor who tested positive of COVID-19, the Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday took the decision to keep the clinics, which see over 100 patients daily, open.
“To keep mohalla clinics open is a necessity to check patients with the slightest doubt of infection and screen and test them before it is too late. If the nearest facility is closed, it will become more difficult to get poor people evaluated,” said Dr Harjit Singh Bhatti, National President, Progressive Medicos and Scientists Forum (PMSF).
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“Because of the panic many people with ordinary respiratory illnesses are also rushing to tertiary care hospitals, severely compromising the care of potential COVID patients. However, many of the false positives can be screened at these mohalla clinics,” said Dr Satendra Singh, University College of Medical Sciences, Delhi University and Founder, Doctors with Disabilities.
“Managing the crowd will of course be the challenge. It is good that the clinics are open but it should not be turned into a routine OPD for routine complaints. Unless, it is a case of emergency, the locals should avoid coming in,” added Dr Naval Vikram, Professor, Medicine, AIIMS. However the medical experts also stressed that sufficient PPE kits should be made available to doctors.
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“With adequate personal protective equipment and social distancing norms, it will be a boon if the mohalla clinics are kept functional. The clinics will be catering to patients in the community during lockdown. This will help avoid overcrowding at main hospitals,” said Dr Shivaji Dev Burman, President, FORDA.Yet some medical professionals raised concern over how safe it can be – both for doctors and patients to visit the clinics.
“It is very difficult to maintain distance inside these clinics. And per day patient count is often above 100,” said a doctor on the condition of anonymity.