International Journal of Research and Scientific Innovation (IJRSI) | Volume IX, Issue VI, June 2022 | ISSN 2321–2705
*Paulina Ndeshipanda Lineekela Munalye1, Kangwa I. M. Muma1
1School of Medicine, Cavendish University, Lusaka Zambia
*Author correspondence
Abstract:
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant effect on patient flow, attendances, disease pattern, and routine healthcare due to hospitals being unable to manage surges of patients coming with infection while providing normally-planned and scheduled healthcare services simultaneously.
Purpose: To evaluate the effect of COVID-19 pandemic on patient flow, attendances and disease pattern at University Teaching Hospitals – Eye Hospital (UTHs-EH) between quarters two of 2019 and 2020.
Methods: A Hospital based descriptive non-interventional, retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted utilizing the records of patients that were seen at the UTHs-EHs during quarters two of 2019 and 2020.
Results: Research findings showed that a total of 7,088 patients attended the Eye Hospital in quarters two of 2019 and 2020, of which 5,658 patients were attended to in 2019, compared to 1,430 in 2020 representing a reduction of 74.7%. In quarter two of 2019, the re-attendances were 3,440, while only 966 were re-attendances in quarter two of 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, giving a reduction of 71.9%. The same trend was observed for new cases, with 2019 quarter two recording 2,218, compared to 464 in 2020 quarter two, representing a decline of 79.1%. A total of 1,469 female patients were attended to with top ten conditions in quarter two of 2019, compared to 222 in quarter two of 2020, representing a decline of 84.9%. Similarly, the male patients attended to with top ten conditions dropped from 1,000 in quarter two of 2019 to 120 in quarter two of 2020, giving a decline of 88.0%. Refractive Error was the most prevalent condition, with 1,523 and 129 patients seen in quarters two of 2019 and 2020 respectively, giving a decline of 91.5%. A total of 748 surgeries were performed between the two periods under review of which, 487 were performed in quarter two of 2019, compared to 261 performed in quarter two 2020 which was a decline of 46.4%. Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic led to a remarkable decline in patient flow, attendances and disease pattern at UTHs-EH, between the two periods under review. On the other hand, negative consequences arising from disruption of ophthalmological clinical flow, attendances and disease pattern remain to be seen.
Key Words: COVID-19, Pandemic, Ophthalmology, Eye health services
I. INTRODUCTION
The COVID-19 pandemic has altered health care delivery and has had a significant effect on patient flow, attendances and disease pattern due to Hospitals being unable to manage surges of patients arriving with infection while providing routine healthcare at the same time. Handling and organizing patient flow has been a critical challenge faced by the health sector, now made even worse by the Coronavirus crisis, as it poses a huge risk to disease transmission. Zambia documented its first two COVID-19 cases on 18th March 2020, and cases have been subsequently on the rise ever since.1