AIG sets up India's first post-Covid care clinic

Looking at the urgent need to address the pertinent issue of post-Covid complications, AIG Hospitals has announced the launch of India's first dedicated post-Covid Care Clinic. The clinic will comprise of multidisciplinary team with experts from Internal Medicine, Cardiology, Gastroenterology, Neurology, Nephrology, Rheumatology, Psychiatry, Orthopedics, among others providing comprehensive care. The objective is to evaluate and manage these patients from a holistic point of view.

"We were seeing many such post-Covid patients in our hospital but this survey gave us the true picture of this Post-Covid Syndrome. If this is an indication to go by then we are looking at over 1 crore people in India who have recovered from Covid-19 but are still having certain symptoms," said Dr D Nageshwar Reddy, Chairman, AIG Hospitals.

"We also asked in our survey about the usage of steroids in these patients during their Covid-19 treatment and found out that 74 per cent hospitalised patients received steroids but 34 per cent required oxygen," Nageshwar said.

"We believe there is some correlation between irrational use of steroids and Post-Covid complications because as per the guidelines we are supposed to give steroids in Covid patients only to those who require Oxygen. Further research will be required to ascertain the steroids," he added.

Narasing Rao, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister of Telangana, who was the chief guest, said, "It is a growing challenge and needs to be addressed immediately from all relevant stakeholders. We are keeping a close eye on this situation as it unfolds. It is commendable on part of AIG Hospitals to come up with such an initiative, a first-of-its-kind dedicated Post-Covid Care Clinic so early and showing the way ahead in managing these Post-Covid cases. It will be important to see what newer protocols will be required for these patients and it is our cumulative responsibility to help in this regard."