Working scenario of doctors during early days of coronavirus disease 2019 in India: Lessons for future

Abstract

Background: During the present pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), in spite of providing selfless continuous hours of duties and staying distant from family members and loved ones, contrary, there have been incidences across the nation where health professionals have been assaulted. Apart from that, there have been news that acute shortage of protective gears for doctors and health professionals is putting them at greater risk of COVID-19 exposure. Aims and Objectives: The present study was designed to analyze the working scenario of Indian doctors during the early phase of present emergency situation of pandemic COVID-19 and to make recommendations to stakeholders for future. Materials and Methods: A web-based questionnaire, peer tested by faculty of KGMU, along with informed consent form incorporated into Google Forms was posted on a WhatsApp group which included 400 Indian medical practitioners, selected randomly. Results: The majority of responses (65%) were obtained from physicians in the age group of 20–40 years. About 66% of doctors had stopped running outpatient departments. Whereas 41% did not receive any training for the management of COVID-19, 61% felt that their training was insufficient. About 46% were not trained in protective equipment and infection control for COVID-19. More than 55% of doctors admitted that neither there was any health insurance plan nor any security against the incidences of doctors getting assaulted by patients of COVID-19 and their attendants provided by their institute or state government. Only 21% of doctors reported personal protective equipment in adequate number for all the health care workers at their workplace and triage teams availability by only 51% of doctors. About 50% of doctors were not dealing with patients at all and 30% those attending the patients were undergoing mental distress. About 77% complained that there were no emergency plans for their family and 84% had the grudge that there were no incentives for dealing with patients during the present times of COVID-19 pandemic by their institute. Conclusions: The present study reveals that our preparedness to tackle it in the initial phase was not up to the mark.