The global pandemic made a great scare to most of us health practitioners. A lot of healthcare workers were diagnosed with the disease, some fought for their lives and survived, others weren’t as lucky. But I guess when our clinic closed for a week at the start of the pandemic for sanitation, disinfectant, and preparedness against COVID-19, the Hippocratic Oath prevailed in me.
I had a patient who was bleeding in the early weeks of pregnancy. We communicated through SMS and WhatsApp. Fortunately, a nearby laboratory with a radiologist/sonologist was open. I saw her at the lab, asked the personnel that I examine the patient there, and waited for all labs to be released while waiting in my car. I was wearing a surgical mask, reading glasses, and disposable gloves while doing PE. Hoping and praying that I don’t get infected, because the lab was full of patients and social distancing wasn’t observed at all.
I have my ‘medical bag’ with all medical instruments for vitals and a weighing scale in my car, as well as my prescription pads, data privacy document, and patient chart. I literally discharged the patient in the car, with all Rx medicines, advice, and prayers, since she was not willing to go to the hospital. She eventually had a spontaneous abortion, because the transvaginal ultrasound report correlated with a blighted ovum.
We are all ignorant of this new disease; how to protect ourselves, as well as our patients, because little is known about it. Now I attend to patients but with complete PPE and more than 1 meter apart doing my interview/medical history, and PE using double gloves. I still do minor procedures at the clinic as long as everything is done in the shortest possible time.
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