Nagpur: While getting a bed is a big challenge, staying mentally strong in ICUs and Covid-19 hospitals is a bigger challenge for patients. TOI spoke to some patients who were recently discharged after being in the ICU for more than two weeks. They said fighting Covid-19 is also a mind game.
“On the third or fourth day of my ICU stay, I had gone almost mad. I screamed at nurses and called out to the doctor as I was coughing relentlessly. Finally, the doctor came and consoled me. The next day I felt embarrassed because of my behaviour,” said 68-year-old Sudha Khisti, who was in hospital for 16 days.
She said no communication with family members is the biggest problem in Covid hospitals.
IMA functionary and community medicine expert Dr Sanjay Deshpande said that hospitals should think of introducing some innovative steps like one meeting a day with a family member. “With full protection and PPE kits, one family member should be allowed to visit patient in the ICU once a day. This will definitely bring some good results,” he said.
At present, hospitals discourage relatives from meeting patients in Covid wards. In some cases, they allow visits by relatives only if the patient is critical.
“What is the point in sending my relative to meet me when I’m already on the death bed,” said Sanjay Jagtap, who was in the ICU for 12 days. “I was feeling lonely after 3 days in hospital. Covid shows different symptoms daily. Cough one day, headache the following day, fever, stomach ache and much more. You start feeling hopeless,” he said.
Doctors said these are known facts. “Studies state that 75% of Covid patients experienced increase stress. Multiple factors play a role in patient attitude, including uncertainty of disease progression, strict restriction of visitation from family members and inability to develop open connection with healthcare workers due to use of PPEs,” said Dr Nitin Shinde, an infectious disease specialist.
“We are trained to handle such patients who experience irritation,” said intensivist Dr Kunal Javade. “Female patients with co-morbid conditions become angry and sometimes aggressive or abusive. It’s all right for us. The psychological impact of Covid-19 is the same worldwide,” he said.
Doctors said that first-time hospitalization patients face more such issues. “Majority of the patients of Covid-19 are hospitalized for the first time in their life. Some of them land in ICU for the first time. Doctors fully covered with PPEs and constant monitoring of health through machines increase their anxiousness,” said a doctor from GMCH’s Covid ward.
WHAT PATIENTS SUFFER FROM...
· Distinct mood disturbance, women are more in this category
· Increased mental stress during Covid admission compared to non-Covid admissions
· Increased anxiety due to uncertainty disease progression
· Absence of family, loneliness in isolation rooms
· Absence of human touch, human face due to PPE kits etc.
EXPERTS SAY...
· Relatives should be allowed to meet at least once in 48 hours by wearing PPE kits
· Stop wasting money on surface cleaning, PPE kits
· Focus on air movement, masking, social distancing and vaccination