Apollo launches clinics to help patients with post-Covid health effects

The Apollo Hospitals Group on Tuesday announced the launch of post-COVID recovery clinics across its network to help the patients, who have recovered from COVID-19, but are suffering from persistent effects of the infection.

According to the hospital, over 50 per cent of COVID-19 patients suffer from problems that include breathlessness, chest pain and heart issues, joint pains, vision problems, and memory loss months after contracting the novel coronavirus.

"The Post-COVID Recovery Clinics will be manned by a team of specialists including neurologists and immunologists to help patients deal with the aftermath of COVID-19 and restore them to health," the group said in a statement.

Speaking about the clinics, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, New Delhi Managing Director P Shivakumar said, "Many patients who have recovered from COVID-19 at our hospitals have been contacting us for symptoms that they are having, and not knowing where to go for them."

A Post-COVID Recovery Clinic will be conducted at Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals in Delhi's Sarita Vihar.

"To address these health issues faced by patients who have recovered from COVID-19, we have started the Post-COVID Recovery Clinics. These exclusive clinics for post-COVID care will help patients to connect to the specialised care that they need," Shivakumar said.

"We have laid down the guidelines and have trained the clinicians to ensure that patients get the correct treatment. The clinics will help patients recover completely from the consequences of COVID-19 and return to living life as before COVID," he added.

COVID-19 impacts almost all the vital organs in the body. Apart from acute events like stroke and myocardial infarction, chronic conditions like diabetes and hypertension are part of the post-COVID syndrome. A number of sudden deaths in post-COVID patients have been reported and most of these are attributed to acute cardiac events.

Shivakumar said COVID-19 does not just attack just the lungs but other organs in the body as well and leaves behind lingering health issues and added that even patients who have recovered from a mild case can suffer from the prolonged effects of the virus.

"Some of the long-term effects may be severe and disabling in nature. This specialised clinic will enable us to monitor symptoms of patients on an ongoing basis and deliver timely medical attention," Shivakumar said.

"The post-COVID syndrome is adding to this disease load and if not addressed with a special focus will lead to an increase in morbidity and mortality beyond the pandemic with a large number of chronically ill individuals who have recovered from COVID," he added.

The hospital group said that Post-COVID Recovery Clinics will initially be launched in Apollo hospitals treating COVID in Chennai, Madurai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Mysore, Kolkata, Bhubaneswar, Guwahati, Indore, Lucknow, Mumbai and Ahmedabad, and will be manned by a dedicated team consisting of a family physician assisted by a nurse.