The private practitioners in various clinics and private hospitals in Rajshahi have now adopted to treat patients' on line' or through 'Video Conferencing' in the wake of Coronavirus pandemic.
As a result, patients are being deprived from getting a proper treatment and many of them are being misdiagnosed even after paying the same amount of fees to the doctors they used to pay earlier for the treatment.
According to sources with the spread of Coronavirus infection, most of the private practitioners of Rajshahi suspended their practices. But, as their income fell and the patients continued to insist them, they started treat and prescribe the patients through 'on line' or through 'video conferencing' even after risking misdiagnosis and thus risking lives of the patients.
However, even after the second wave of the Coronavirus infection, everything in the city is running normal. Some doctors in the private clinics and the hospitals have reopened their chambers and treating the patients regularly. But, the number of such doctors is meagre, so the number of patients as well. Doctors opined, it will take some more days to return everything to normal.
In Popular Diagnostic Centre, patients and their attendants were seen thronging at various counters. Earlier more than 100 doctors, many of them specialized physicians, attended the patients, diagnosed diseases, treated and prescribed them through examining physically. Now, all of those doctors are serving the patients as usual but more than 60 percent of them are treating the patients on line or through video conferencing.
Rezaul Islam, Manager of Labaid Hospital and Diagnostic Centre informed, hospital is facing crisis of patients due to Corona epidemic. The business dropped to 40 percent than usual. Patients are failing to arrive at the hospital due to the lockdown of the Corona virus situation. Doctors were treating the patients online. The patients of the hospital have been decreased abnormally.
Gynecologist Dr. Hasina Akhter said, she is now treating patients through video conferencing. She said, the time is now not favourable that is why everyone should remain alert. The general patients should not be deprived of their services. Though it seems abnormal to many patients, we have to adapt with the real situation. However, she refuted the allegations from the patients that there is every chance of mistreatment and misdiagnosis due to the treatment through video-conferencing.
Mashiur Rahnman of Ramchandrapur area of the city came for the treatment of her wife at a local clinic to a gynae physician. The doctor took an interview of the patient online and prescribed her.
Moshiur Rahman was suspicious about getting proper treatment of his wife. He said without any physical examination, the doctor suggested a number of tests and told him to contact her again over on line with the result of the tests.
Farid Md. Shamim, Manager of Popular Diagnostic centre said, all pathological services of the lab are continuing as usual. All the doctors are attending their patients but nearly half of them are treating the patients through online.
Abu Sayed, a senior staff of Islami Bank Hospital in Rajshahi informed earlier 60 to 70 doctor practice privately daily in the hospital. Now, all of them are serving the patients through online.
Dr. AB Siddique, President of BMA, Rajshahi, said earlier many doctors were reluctant to treat patients due to the wave of Coronavirus. But, now many of them are approaching with courage and treating the patients regularly.
He added, there are 600 members of BMA in Rajshahi. Many of them do not adopt private practices. Of them 200 doctors adopted the private practices. Most of them are now practicing online nowadays.