Pandemics and Patients with Chronic Diseases: A Study on the Health Care System in Port Blair, Andaman and Nicobar Islands

COVID-19 lockdown had an impact on access to essential health care services, especially for people suffering from chronic diseases. Non-communicable diseases like heart disease, diabetes, cancer, anaemia etc. posed many inconveniences to the patients and the health care system during this pandemic situation. This study records the response of the islanders regarding their experiences during the lockdown, and keeping the island situation in purview, it also suggests some preparedness measures for the future. To highlight the problems faced by these patients during the lockdown, a study was conducted in two different areas of Port Blair, Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Andaman and Nicobar Administration provided utmost care during this period that included preventive and supportive health care services to each household and all communities residing in the remote islands too. Several measures were taken to control the spread of infection among the islanders. As the focus shifted towards handling the COVID patients, there had been certain problems faced by chronically ill patients and their need for health care. The study was taken up in two villages in Port Blair, that is, Dairy Farm and Junglighat. In this study, it was observed that 41% of the males and 35% of the females suffer from hypertension and 36% of males and 44% of females suffer diabetes, respectively, in the study area, and 16.6% suffer from both these diseases. Pearson’s correlation calculated between hypertension, diabetes and kidney disease of male and female patients of all age groups shows a strong positive correlation. The results are significant at p < 0.05. During lockdown, several of them faced problems, as they were reluctant to visit health centres for the fear of contracting the disease. The virus being more harmful to comorbid conditions, these patients required additional attention. Numerous patients, who were referred to mainland India for treatment, as advanced medical facilities that were unavailable on the island, could not go due to the unavailability of transport during the period of lockdown. This aggravated the burden of these diseases enormously. There must be a way where the Island’s health sector can provide access to regular essential health care services to people suffering from chronic diseases during health disaster as such. Their health care should not be restricted and then the fear and commotion in the minds of people regarding their health can be resolved.