Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)
Mangaluru, Mar 28: After lockdown was enforced in the district for regulating prevalence of coronavirus infection, many hospitals have suspended their outpatient services. Many patients therefore have not been able to consult their doctors and get proper medicines.
Taking note of their predicament, K S Hegde Medical Academy (KSHEMA) Hospital at Deralakatte near here has introduced a novel method of providing consultation services to patients. As the patients cannot be expected to move about because of travel restrictions, the hospital has planned to serve the people online.
WhatsApp numbers of doctors of all the departments have been given. Patients need to provide symptoms of their disease through WhatsApp to the concerned doctors. They also have to provide their name, age, sex, weight, information about the disease, and copies of earlier prescriptions if any. After going through the details, the doctors will call the patients over phone if found necessary. Otherwise, they will either prescribe the medicines or give their opinion. Their observations are recorded in a slip containing the doctor's registration number, which is sent to the WhatsApp number of the patients, who can then obtain medicines from a nearby medical store.
K S Hegde Hospital has come out with this novel initiative for the first time in the entire state in order to help the patients to stay away from the risk of contracting coronavirus infection, and to enable them and their family members to maintain social distance.