Primary Health Care and COVID-19 Pandemic

Primary Health Care and Covid-19

Abstract

Background:  Over the past few weeks, the COVID-19 pandemic is impacting the global population in drastic ways globally. It was a health emergency in health care services hindering a lot of other services specially primary health care. The care at center to the proper referral has been an issue during lock down of COVID-19 time.

Objectives: This short review was done to identify the problems in world faced by primary care physicians in COVID 19 pandemics and to identify the referral system maintained in COVID-19 as a learning from the world.

Methodology: The concept was planned to review all the articles on the health care delivery in the last 3 months. We tried to identify the problems in the world about how the system could not cope up with the regular health system and COVID-19 together including India. The concepts considered were challenges of health care at primary care, world's response and Indian response in managing the deficit of primary care.

Findings: The study revealed declines in rates of primary care visit and in resources to deliver the services, 76% of physicians said the pandemic placed close-to-severe strain on their practice and millions of the children have missed their immunizations.

Conclusions: The study suggested there is lack of continuity in essential care and the regular health care destruction has been a process in last 3 months. However, the referral and SOP of COVID-19 was not aptly made.

Recommendation: There is a need of corrective measures in immediate effect. Indian health system needs to be focused more and given priority to combat the disease and also be prepared to face other pandemic in future.