Navigating the Pandemic: An Exploration of Medical Practitioners' Preparedness, Concerns, Adaptations, and Practices During the COVID-19 Epidemic in India

Introduction The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus, has had profound health and societal impacts, and healthcare providers from diverse backgrounds had to continuously adapt and update to manage patient care, prevent morbidity mortality, and minimize transmission of the infection. Methodology A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 218 doctors in western India. A structured questionnaire was used to gather data on demographic characteristics, patient consultations, infection prevention practices, COVID-19 diagnosis, management, vaccination attitudes, and healthcare program disruptions. Multistage probability sampling was undertaken to select 161 (64%) private and 57 (26%) public sector doctors from the list of clinics and hospitals reporting COVID-19 cases in the urban municipal corporation area of South Gujarat. Private sector doctors were contacted through the network of public administrative staff and caregivers of their area. They were provided the choice of date, time, and mode (telephonically, face to face, or online) of interview. Descriptive measures of central tendency and variation were calculated. Inferential statistics was applied to test the significance of the difference between sub-groups. For ratio and interval variables, t-test (for two groups) and ANOVA (for more than two groups) were applied while for nominal and ordinal variables, chi-square and appropriate tests were applied.Results The mean age of the 218 doctors included in the study was 43.6 +/- 11.1 years while the mean duration of practice was 16.9 +/- 10.8 years. During the pandemic, patients' consultation frequencies decreased at the clinics while telephonic and residential consultancies increased, which was statistically significant (P=0.000). Social distancing (n= 187; 85%), isolation (n=157; 72%), and consultation reduction (n=65; 30%) were adopted by doctors. Both public and private doctors preferred government-recognized COVID-19 centers for testing (n=167; 76.7%) and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) as the standard diagnostic test (n=196; 90%). A combination of antipyretics, favipiravir, and antibiotics was used to manage symptomatic cases. Concerns and emotional stress for personal and family safety were prominent among this group of frontline medical doctors (94%). Delivery of healthcare programs for chronic conditions like hypertension and tuberculosis was negatively affected (n=102; 47%). Despite these challenges, doctors managed cases and advised vaccination to control the pandemic. Conclusion This study among over 200 qualified medical practitioners during the pandemic attempts to fill gaps in COVID-19 management, prevention, and safety measures. To the best of our knowledge, this is one of the few studies providing genuine insights into the practice of private doctors with a large sample size. Findings show the established treatment, prophylaxis, and vaccination protocols among private and public practitioners. It highlights the need for adaptable healthcare strategies and collaboration between public and private sectors for managing future global health emergencies.