KOLKATA: For a large number of Kolkata’s senior doctors, the pandemic has not only been a looming health threat but has also halted their booming practice, robbed them of their earnings and left them staring at an uncertain future.
Scores of experienced medics — many of them leading in their respective specialities — have been forced to stay away from hospitals and private chambers to avoid infection and are not sure of being able to return to work ever again. Some of them stopped their practice after a few colleagues died of Covid and others were persuaded by their families to stay away from patients. While some of them have latched on to online consultations, they admit it can’t be a long-term substitute for face-to-face interactions. Some private hospitals, too, have said that they wouldn’t like their senior doctors to risk their lives and would rather replace them with younger doctors.
The pandemic has also prompted many senior specialists to switch hospitals as their patient count dropped with the hospitals squeezing their non-Covid operations to expand Covid units.
At Peerless Hospital, around six senior doctors opted out of their outpatient department (OPD) duties last March and have since been practising from home. The hospital has encouraged younger doctors to take over their patients. “While it’s risky for the senior doctors, we have got good replacements in younger medics who are quickly stepping into their shoes. Till the pandemic, 60% of our OPD patients would visit highly rated doctors. Now, the patient load is more evenly distributed among the younger lot and patients are happy with them,” said Peerless Hospital CEO Sudipta Mitra.
Among those who have been absent at the hospital are gastro-enterologist Ashokananda Konar, cardiologist Anjan Dutta, ear-nose-throat specialist Dulal Bose and gynaecologist Biman Ghosh.
‘Online treatment has its limitations’
Konar, who has been a practising medic for over 40 years, has not visited the hospital or his chamber since March. “Initially it was difficult but then I moved to telemedicine and have now got used to it. It is the only alternative and many of my colleagues are doing it,” he said but added that most of his patients are those who are following up on their treatment. “Treating a new patient is difficult since online interaction has its limitations and doesn’t allow clinical examination, which is restrictive. But things must go on and it’s not impossible to treat patients online. I hope to be able to return to my hospital and chamber in a month-and-half,” said Konar.
Apollo Gleneagles Hospital internal medicine consultant Dhiman Sen, too, has been home-bound for the last nine months and switched to telemedicine. “As a doctor, I need to be safe to be able to serve my patients. With the pandemic still on, I don’t wish to resume face-to-face interaction till a vaccine is available,” Sen said. “Many of my colleagues are contemplating quitting the profession but I don’t wish to. It’s my only skill and I want to keep using it,” he added.
Cardiologist Anjan Dutta, too, has been practising “largely from home” since March. “I resumed surgeries last month but have done very few,” he said.
Fortis Hospital pulmonologist Raja Dhar pointed out that a substantial number of these senior doctors are consultants or surgeons whose earnings have dropped drastically. “They can’t return to work till the pandemic ebbs which may not happen soon. It’s frustrating for they are not being able to use their only skill-set and many could actually see their careers end,” he said.
Cardiac surgeon and senior vice-chairman of Medica Superspecialty Hospital, Kunal Sarkar, said the Covid disruption has left most private hospitals under a severe financial stress. “Like any other sector, we, too, have been affected and job losses will invariably lead to job switches,” Sarkar said.