People who have recovered from COVID-19 and are still battling health issues can look at Masjid Muhammadi in Rajendranagar here. The mosque is now offering free post-COVID services as most patients who require long term care are already financially and emotionally exhausted, said Mujtaba Hasan Askari of the Helping Hand Foundation (HHF).
HHF along with Rotary Club of Hyderabad Deccan and SEED USA have set up a 40-bedd isolation facility at the mosque. They have received oxygen concentrators, oxygen cylinders, and other medical resources in donation. Since coronavirus cases are on the downward slide and current patients are able to find admission at government hospitals easily, the medical resources are being used to attend post-COVID patients.
Apart from attending to issues such as breathlessness, fatigue, diarrhoea, body pains and other complications which need oxygen support, the facility will also offer physiotherapy, nutrition and medical management. Patients would be attended on daycare and in-patient basis.
Senior internal medicine consultant, P. Shafi said they also plan to provide out-patient services to over 150 people a day and admit other post-COVID cases too.
Govt. centres
Post-COVID care is also offered free of cost at some government hospitals. Post-COVID Clinic is functional at District Hospital in King Koti where doctors from general medicine, pulmonology (respiratory issues) and psychiatry offer consultations from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on weekdays.
People who recovered from COVID but suffering from respiratory issues are approaching doctors at the Government General and Chest Hospital, Erragadda. Professor of pulmonology at the hospital, M. Narender said that around 20% to 30% of the patients who get admitted at the hospital have post-COVID complications such as lung mucormycosis, fibrosis, cavity, or infections involving lungs.
Although separate post-COVID clinics have not been set up at other government hospitals, the doctors there do attend patients with complications.