Neurosurgical care for all - in covid times

While the world has been locked down and reeling with Covid19, and most government hospitals shutting down their OPD and  routine surgery, surgeons at a top corporate hospital in Delhi have been regularly attending to patients irrespective of their covid status and performing  regular and emergency surgery taking utmost care in infection control and prevention. Patients with poor socio economic status are being treated almost free of cost, charging them a meagre amount only for medicines and consumables.

With families bringing in patients suffering from life threatening emergencies like stroke and seizure producing brain tumors besides many physically disabling spine problems regularly to the hospital, the neurosurgery department at Delhi’s Apollo hospital is busy providing world class routine and emergency care to the city residents as it is also one of the few private hospitals designated by the government to treat covid19 patients. Dr. Sunit Mediratta (Consultant Neurosurgeon at Apollo hospital) has been at the forefront and has also been providing free consultations to patients across all sections of society for the past few weeks since the lockdown was announced. With many senior consultants preferring to stay at home as per the advisory issued by the government for senior citizens, the next generation of consultants in neurosurgery led by Dr. Mediratta have been working day and night providing their emergency services to the needy and occasionally being on call for upto 48 hours at a stretch due to limited availability of staff. With doctors and paramedics from various specialities occasionally getting infected at the hospital, the stress levels have gone up adding to the surgical stress, says the doctor.

While operating at odd hours and performing emergency lifesaving procedures, all precautions are adhered to since patients are considered covid19 positive till their test report is received. The safety gear is put on in a separate pre-operative room while maintaining sterility. The process takes close to 20 minutes. On completion of surgery, the entire surgical team immediately after doffing off their PPE showers in the washrooms adjoining the operation theatre. As most doctors in the team have young families they do not want to risk carrying any infection home says Dr. Mediratta.

With the hospital having set up a separate Operation theatre complex for suspect and covid positive patients, the inflow of patients is expected to increase as the lockdown restrictions ease out. With world class infrastructure, strict infection control protocols and support services offered by the hospital, the spirit, motivation and enthusiasm has been high to carry on the good work. Although being able to bring back smiles to the patients and their families is the ultimate motivation says the doctor his team couldn’t agree more.