A Western Cape GP soon realised the limited potential of tele-consultations in a poor community, which meant gruelling days of face-to-face appointments and house calls in full protective gear.
While ever-changing guidelines and protocols, together with stringent safety measures at Eerste Rivier’s Dr Zuhoor Dadaker’ practice, outside Cape Town, have him less anxious as he deals with the ill waiting to see him in his waiting room – a converted lounge in a residential property – the dangers of the pandemic are still very real to him and his family. He wears protective clothing, which covers him from head to toes.
News24 reports that at the end of his working day, he removes the suit and leaves it at the practice, taking a shower as soon as he is home. And he has a no-nonsense approach to the importance of physical distancing, the wearing of masks and constant sanitising.
He estimates to have seen about 100 confirmed cases since the pandemic broke out. Of these, two patients with various comorbidities succumbed in hospital.
Covid-19 has ravaged people from lower income areas like Eerste River, Dadaker said. Between April and June, things were "really rough", he recalled. "I saw a number of really, really sick patients. We had suspected positive cases every one to two days."
Others, however, would present only with a "little cough", nevertheless convinced they had been infected.
As the Western Cape government took the decision to only test those who are at highest risk and most vulnerable of dying from infection, the best he could do was recommend isolation and treat his patients' symptoms, Dadaker explained.
"But people need reassurance that they are okay. To deal with that anxiety, I gave them my cellphone number and urged them to phone me at any time," he said.
The report says his cellphone has become the device he uses to dispense advice in the middle of the night, forward scripts and calm anxious patients who are in quarantine. He also started doing house calls, kitted in full personal protective equipment, attending to especially the elderly at their homes.
A Stellenbosch University graduate, he did his internship at Groote Schuur Hospital before working as a medical officer at the Khayelitsha Community Health Centre HIV and TB clinic. He went into private practice in 2015.
While video- and tele-consultations were encouraged to avoid the risk of infection, Dadaker said this simply wasn't feasible for the people he services. "People can't spend money on airtime and data when they are already struggling. While the pandemic changed how we consult with patients, not everyone can afford these changes."
He made the decision to see those who suspected they may have been infected so he could make a more informed diagnosis. The patient is screened by his receptionist and seen briefly before being referred for testing if necessary. Most opt to wait in their vehicles until it's their turn to be seen, he said, and every patient is "considered positive until proven negative". His rooms are decontaminated after every suspected case.
[link url="https://www.news24.com/news24/southafrica/news/protected-from-head-to-toe-how-daily-life-has-changed-for-one-gp-whos-seen-100-covid-19-cases-20200817"]Full News24 report[/link]