By Namita Thapar,
Far from waning, the pandemic brought millions of lives below its fold, plunging healthcare systems into a deep coma. Like all other crisis, the outbreak has impacted ladies disproportionately. Historic anecdotes bear testimony to the truth that healthcare crisis have in no way been gender neutral and coronavirus is no exception. Today, as we fight this unprecedented pandemic, COVID remedy has been prioritized, and women’s overall health has taken a backseat.
Even prior to the pandemic, we had dismal statistics such as India ranking 155th out of 156 nations surveyed on women’s overall health as per a report published by World Economic Forum 2021. This plight has only deteriorated in several approaches in the last on year.
In truth, specialists like Dr. Nozer Sheriar, consulting Obstetrician and Gynaecologist with a longstanding commitment to the promotion of women’s overall health and rights, assert that sexual and reproductive overall health services for ladies, even though listed as critical, had been treated with benign neglect in the face of the elevated burden on the overall health care technique due to COVID-19. From these services, it was family preparing and protected abortion services that had been regarded much less critical than maternal and new-born care services for the duration of the pandemic. The Federation of the Obstetric and Gynaecological Societies of India (FOGSI) registry and our survey on ‘Understanding Obstetric care during Covid 19 pandemic’, (a pan-India survey exactly where 93 Obstetrician and Gynaecologists shared their knowledge of previous 14 months (May 2021) findings demonstrated that most ladies with COVID-19 for the duration of pregnancy had an uneventful course. Pre-term labour, miscarriage, termination, C section did not appear to raise in pregnant ladies with COVID-19. Whether the virus passes on to the new-born has not been established however, even though proof shows an exceptionally low probability of this.
Zooming in on Concerns About Pregnant Women with COVID-19
As per major gynaecologists most ladies will only need to have symptomatic care with straightforward medicines such a paracetamol. What drugs can be utilized and can’t be utilized for pregnant ladies is pretty clear. . During these attempting instances, social distancing has made teleconsultation an helpful and the safest medium for interaction among patients and physicians. It is crucial to monitor anaemia and hypertension in pregnant ladies and fewer routine antennal care visits could imply lost possibilities to diagnose them. As we battle a pandemic, the challenges of postpartum depression, anxiousness and paranoia could be exacerbated. Dr. Parikshit Tank, Joint Treasurer, FOGSI corroborates this point and agrees that all these variables lead to a delayed post-delivery recovery and could have lengthy term impacts on women’s overall health.
Additionally, as clinic visits entail becoming exposed to the threat of contracting the virus, infertility therapies have been impacted. This has led to couples who have time sensitive issues for fertility remedy like sophisticated reproductive age, diminished ovarian reserve or decreasing sperm counts deferring their remedy
Salvaging the Situation: Measures to Prevent COVID-19 in Pregnant Women
At the centre of these issues stands the efficacy and security of vaccination for the duration of pregnancy and breastfeeding. It is critical to vaccinate this group. Very not too long ago vaccination has been authorized for lactating ladies. However, it is critical to announce a policy to vaccinate pregnant ladies. Additionally, there are numerous myths about vaccinations that are entirely unfounded such as vaccines trigger infertility and adjustments in periods. There requirements to be education and awareness campaigns about these myths to minimize the paranoia and to push the government to permit vaccination in pregnancy. This view is constant with the position statement by FOGSI below the leadership of Dr. Alpesh Gandhi, President and Dr. Shantha Kumari, President Elect, advocating vaccination in this group.
The pandemic has undoubtedly changed our lives in unpredictable and unprecedented approaches. And non-Covid ailments and circumstances have been impacted the most due to decreased clinic visits and acute shortage of healthcare employees and hospital infrastructure for each detection and remedy of non-Covid circumstances like surgeries. It is important to not shed sight and give focus to non-Covid patients as effectively. To guarantee that India does not reel below the added burden of these challenges in a post COVID-19 era, there is a dire need to have to continue educating healthcare specialists and the masses about the value of self-care and have a robust healthcare infrastructure in spot.
(The author is Executive Director at Emcure Pharmaceuticals. Views expressed are individual and do not reflect the official position or policy of the TheSpuzz Online.)