“I am a dentist based in Karnataka. There are 25,000+ dentists along with me who are stuck with nothing during this pandemic lockdown phase. We have restricted regular check-ups (because of the proximity in which we will have to work with the patient) and postponed non-urgent surgeries. This has left me with literally with no work, reduced inflow of money, and more expenses since now even if one patient comes, I have to sanitize everything properly and thoroughly. Most of the non-urgent patients are being attended through online consultations only. I am worried about not just my dentistry practice but also for the families of my support staff. Things are looking pretty grim currently,” says Dr Monica Soni, dentist.

Strict lockdown norms, physical distancing, and health anxiety among the public is affecting some areas of the medical field as well. Most healthcare professionals—dentists, ophthalmologist, dermatologists, for example, are suffering the consequence of low patient turnout since people have postponed their plans for skin or teeth or eye treatment indefinitely and do not visit these experts unless it is an emergency.

Having to stay at home, not having enough OPD patients to consult, adjusting fees in online consultations, having to adapt to the new norms of consulting patients, higher expenses of maintaining and running OPDs and the stress of getting infected from the virus because of the proximity of the patient are just some of the reasons that are driving some sections of the medical professions to the verge of depression.

A survey done in Bangalore shows that nearly 33% of ophthalmologists are suffering from depresson.

If the concerns of the OPD patients and a loss of income wasn’t enough, many healthcare professionals are experiencing discomfort in the shift from on-premises to telemedicine techniques for carrying out their interactions with the patients. With patients needing consultations and procedures for their skin, hair and other issues it is difficult to prescribe anything by just looking at them through the smartphone screen. This has left the specialists worried about their patients and the treatments they prescribe.

But it is all about survival currently. These specialists have to utilize the time they have for more constructive purposes such as spending time with the family, reading, or gardening etc...hobbies that can keep  them meaningfully occupied and their mind healthy.