I have never seen a patient from far: Narratives of Doctors during the Covid-19 Pandemic in India

Abstract
The present study is a qualitative investigation of the lived experiences of Indian doctors in the context of the Covid -19 situation in the country. Data was collected through in-depth interviews with ten participants including two female doctors and eight male doctors. The data obtained from the interviews was analysed using the technique of thematic analysis. Results indicated that doctors perceived the situation in the country as one fraught with a large number of challenges. These ranged from poor public compliance with safety measures and shortages in personal protective equipment to lack in the availability of health infrastructure. In addition to these, doctors also reported impacts of the pandemic on their personal lives. These included persistent anxiety over not only acquiring the virus but also passing it on to their families and some doctors reported changes in their interactional styles with their family members. The doctors missed being able to enjoy the little things in life and socialising with their loved ones. Family and faith emerged to be the most common ways of dealing with the stresses created by the situation. Alongside a desire for things to come back to normal, doctors looked for greater support from the government for the provision of better infrastructure. There was dissatisfaction over the government’s ability to protect doctors from harassment and this was another area within which doctors sought a positive change. Implications of the study and future directions have been discussed.

Keywords
doctors, covid-19, lived experiences, coping, psycho-social impacts, India

Cite this paper
Megha Dhillon, Vaidehi Mishra, I have never seen a patient from far: Narratives of Doctors during the Covid-19 Pandemic in India , SCIREA Journal of Clinical Medicine. Volume 6, Issue 6, December 2021 | PP. 709-725. 10.54647/cm32705

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