Covid-19 reverses medical tourism trend, patients from Delhi seek hospital beds in North Karnataka

Doctors claim that due to lack of stringent scrutiny at airports, many Covid-positive people flew down from Delhi when infections were at a peak

In a reversing medical tourism trend, several Covid-19 patients from New Delhi are now seeking treatment at hospitals in North Karnataka.

"Covid-19 has reversed the trend in medical tourism. Now, we are seeing people from metropolitan cities visiting smaller towns seeking beds,” said a doctor from a private hospital in Belagavi. He has treated at least 30 patients who were from Delhi and Maharashtra.

A scientist, who works in a central government-run institution, travelled from Delhi to Gadag when he turned Covid positive in mid-April and developed breathlessness. He was treated at a private hospital, a report in The Times of India stated.

These people tampered with the soft copies of their Covid test reports or escaped medical checks at airports.

Doctors in North Karnataka districts claim that due to lack of stringent scrutiny at airports, many Covid-positive people flew down from Delhi and were treated here when infections were at a peak.

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“Many people have come to Karnataka without being checked for Covid reports. There have also been instances of old RT-PCR reports being tampered with and dates manipulated for travel purposes,” Dr Pavan Patil, who heads Dr NB Patil hospital in Gadag, told the publication.

The hospital has also treated more than 10 Covid patients from Bengaluru.

These instances show an absolute lack of patient contact tracing in places like Delhi and Maharastra where cases surged last month. “Most of those seeking treatment have their parents or in-laws who live here. They block the bed just before the arrival of the patient. For us, they are patients and we treat them. But the fact is that when a Covid patient moves around, the transmission will only increase,” said a doctor from Bidar.

“Covid treatment is simple and not like a complex surgery. Basic oxygen support, availability of drugs such as steroids and constant follow-up on saturation levels will do. Repeated checks of DDimer test to detect blood clots help in preventing heart attack and stroke. If available, Remdesivir and convalescent plasma therapy will help only if administered in the initial stages,” said the doctor from the Belagavi hospital.