Little counseling, free WiFi: How Covid-19 patients are keeping their spirits high

Hyderabad: A little, but crucial, amount of counselling and free Wi-Fi is helping Covid-19 patients at Gandhi Hospital keep their spirits up.

It helps that nearly 80 per cent of the 380 Coronavirus positive patients under treatment at the hospital are asymptomatic and most of the rest of the patients have only very mild symptoms.

The protective gear worn by doctors, nurses and other medical and para-medical staff creates anxiety among patients when they are first admitted to the Covid-19 treatment ward in the hospital.

“There is some fear, uncertainty and anxiety among patients when they are first brought in. It is a different atmosphere from what people might be used to in hospitals. With information and knowledge of the disease now widely available and people knowing about it, there is an understandable sense of fear, particularly among the older patients,” Dr M Raja Rao, Professor of Medicine and Convener for Covid-19 clinical management, told Deccan Chronicle.

Prof Rao, who has been counselling Covid-19 patients at the hospital from the very first case — of the techie from Mahendra Hills in Secunderabad early in March — said he makes it a point to speak with every patient, every day.   

“Initially, when they first come in, it is about putting them at ease, telling them they will be okay. The goal is to provide confidence to the patient that he or she will get better and go home. Confidence helps in the healing process,” Dr Rao said.

For most patients, after the first few days, it just takes a brief minute or two of interaction to check on them. He said that some patients need conversations that are a little longer, adding that it takes him about three to three-and-a-half hours a day to complete my rounds.

“Actually, many of the younger patients are making full and good use of the Wi-Fi we have provided in the Covid-19 ward. Some of them are even working from the hospital using their phones and tablets,” he added.