GIMS's new OPD for people with post-COVID issues

The Greater Noida-located Government Institute of Medical Sciences (GIMS) on Thursday said it will start from Monday services to see patients who have recovered from COVID-19 but are facing health issues like fever, cough or breathing problems. The coronavirus follow-up check-ups would be available from Monday to Saturday between 9 am and 12 pm at the state-run hospital, a dedicated facility for COVID-19, it said in a statement.

"The hospital has decided to open the COVID follow-up OPD (outpatient department) and Pulmonary Rehabilitation Centre where patients who have recovered from the infection but facing issues like fever, or cough or breathing problems can seek consultation," the GIMS said. "Patients seeking consultation at this OPD, to be supervised by doctor Saurabh Srivastava and his team, would have to bring their COVID negative report along with discharge cards," it added.

The 250-bedded hospital, which has so far admitted over 2,000 COVID-19 patients and treated more than 1,800 of them, said it had created a WhatsApp group where any discharged patient would seek consultation. Patients would either share their problem on WhatsApp or seek tele-consulation with GIMS' doctors for their problems post-discharge but at times physical examination of the patient is required to diagnose the problem, the hospital said.

According to a hospital official there have been instances when patients who have recovered from COVID-19 found it difficult to get physical consultation or have been told to visit after two weeks since discharge for treatment of non-COVID problems. "With this service starting, any person who has recovered from COVID-19 can visit and consult doctors at GIMS. The person must carry the two required documents (COVID negative report and discharge certificate)," the official told PTI.