Let’s not ignore other diseases because of Covid-19
Health facilities have been recording low numbers of patients since the onset of Covid-19 response in Kenya.
This has caused numerous concerns from both the government and medical doctors.
At the time of writing this article confirmed cases in the country had surpassed the 30,000 mark.
It was, however, unclear how devastating the impact of Covid-19 on our healthcare system has been, especially with regard to other diseases.
Nothing in recent history has brought such fear as Covid-19. Some of the best global healthcare systems were brought to near breaking point and more than a third of the world’s population was put under some form of movement restrictions in a bid to reduce infection rates.
Kenya instituted measures such as a night curfew with movement restrictions in and out of some counties.
These measures had other effects including reduced economic activities for many.
The same effects also caused reduced number of people seeking services in health facilities because they lacked means to present themselves to the facilities and because of fear that they might be diagnosed with the virus and be sent into isolation.
‘Coronaphobia’ is real and understandable. In the early stages of the outbreak, media coverage on the situation in China, and subsequent focus on death tolls in Italy, Spain, UK and the US, left many scared.
Shocking images on social media and TV bulletins of Intensive Care Units and patients on ventilators intensified that fear.
Many anticipated that it was only a matter of time before what was happening in other countries was experienced at home.
To make matters worse, that most countries with world-class health facilities had been overwhelmed gave many little or no confidence in the ability of our own healthcare system to adequately respond to the challenges posed by the pandemic.
Naturally, people made comparisons between their own possible fates and the images they saw.
Consequently, widespread stigma and shying away from hospitals developed.
Many people with chronic illnesses in need of regular follow up fell behind on appointments and diseases that could have been diagnosed and managed earlier have probably advanced in many cases.
The outome of not receiving medical attention on time can be dire. A lack of treatment for cancer, HIV, diabetes, high blood pressure and heart conditions within certain timeframes results in disease progression, deterioration of health, complications and possibly death.
Similarly, lack of timely treatment of other infectious diseases can result in fatalities and transmissions at unprecedented levels.
Misdiagnosis combined with poorly guided self-medication and herbalism might further catalyse complications.
The catastrophic impacts of Covid-19 on people’s health and wealth continue to grow as cases increase in the country.
They include effects on other illnesses which will be worse for many in the coming days.
Limitations in contact tracing, laboratory testing and follow up of home-based care patients of Covid-19 might also limit accurate reporting of statistics around the pandemic in Kenya.
Urgent intervention is required. Chronic diseases such as HIV, diabetes, hypertension and cancer require close monitoring and follow up by medical experts.
People need to be encouraged to maintain good health seeking behaviour including visiting the health facilities when sick and maintaining follow up appointments for chronic disease management.
The pandemic has not suspended other existing health challenges which are equally deadly. — The writer is a Medical Doctor in Kenya
