Clinic communications have changed since COVID-19. Previously, we were going every month to the clinic to collect our medication and this gave us a chance to at least have a talk with our clinicians every month but since COVID-19, we are given medication for 6 months in advance, so we are away from the hospital for 6 months and this has affected our visit to the clinic and our interaction with the clinicians. That means you can only see the clinician once every 6 months, that is when you see them. That is basically twice a year unless if you have issues, maybe if you are sick or have some problem then you can go before the 6 months ends. But otherwise, if you are ok, you just go there to get your medication for 6 months. You go and stay for 6 months and come again to get your medication for 6 months. There are doing to avoid overcrowding at the clinic and taking care of the traffic and going there not frequently. This is how COVID-19 has affected our clinic visitations.
To my knowledge, our clinic has not SMS or WhatsApp communication between patients and clinicians. This does not happen at our clinic. I go to the Central Hospital and lighthouse. These communications do not happen unless you know some doctor personally. You know a nurse personally that means you have their numbers and probably you can call them and ask them for whatever question you have. Otherwise, there is nothing happening like using WhatsApp or text messages, this is not happening. This is not happening at our clinic or lighthouse.
We have support groups at the clinics and there are in areas where we come from, but with the COVID-19 the support groups are still going on and we are still meeting but the numbers are really going down but we are, with the support group we are following the COVID-19 guidelines like; washing hands, wearing masks and washing hands. We are doing these, but the attendance has been very poor with the COVID-19 because people are afraid, and they do not want to take a risk. But a few people are still meeting in the support groups. Like here in Salima, I go to a support group. We meet every Sunday from 2 o’clock to about 3 o’clock. The support groups are there, and we are still meeting.
Consultations are done one to one when you go to the clinic to get your medication. You are given a chance to see a clinician if you have any issues before you get your medication but if have never had virtue consultations, no or on-line but always it is one to one, you go to the clinic in person and meet the clinician in person, you talk and then you come back, that is how you do it.
For myself, currently, I do not know if it is ok, my next visit is in 2 weeks on the 6th of May, because my clinic is on the 6th May that is when I am going again. This time around I was not given medication for 6 months, I was given for a month only because the last time I went to my medication, I was told my high blood pressure was high, so I was put on high blood pressure medication as well and I told that they need to be monitoring me so instead of the 6 months, the last 2 times, these 2 months I went monthly. I went this month, I went month-end and took my BP and told me to go after a month. So, I am on the 6th of May. They have to check my BP and if it back to normal I will be put back on the 6-month schedule otherwise I was just changed because of my blood pressure. I want to monitor it every month. And here where I stay, I go after every 2 or 3 days I go to the clinic to have it checked. So that is that about our clinic and no virtual meetings. Support turn out are very low as of now.
Our communications have deeply changed due to the COVID-19 because this has worsened our communication to the clinician, we only have to talk to them once in a while like twice a year is not much because like in my case, if I did not go this time around because it just happened that it was my clinic time they would not have known that my BP was high but the would have known it too late. But if we go frequently, they are able to detect some other conditions. They would tell you the condition you have before it is too late.