Coronavirus: 250pc rise in gynaecological consults, as per Practo Insights
Irregular periods and safe pregnancy were among the most consulted gynaecological concerns among Indian women after coronavirus outbreak.
Practo, the healthtech startup, reported a 250 percent rise in online gynaecological consulting during the lockdown imposed due to coronavirus. Irregular periods and safe pregnancy during COVID-19 are the top gynaecology-related concerns among Indian women, it adds.
Online and teleconsultation services for healthcare and medical facilities have seen a surge as people stay indoors to curtail the spread of coronavirus.
Practo’s Chief Healthcare Strategy Officer, Dr Alexander Kuruvilla says, “Telemedicine is making a very positive contribution to healthcare during the pandemic, and is being used by the people not just for coronavirus-related queries but also for other medical conditions.” It also ensures that doctors are available 24x7 for people so that they receive timely medical attention.
During this ongoing pandemic, women, especially, have increasingly used telemedicine to enquire about gynaecological concerns. Gynaecology is among the topmost consulted specialties on Practo as many routine gynaecology and prenatal care appointments have transitioned to virtual visits. Gynaecologists who consult online have indicated that a lot of women have been reaching out to them with queries about unanticipated irregularity in periods and how expectant mothers can have a safe pregnancy during this time, among other concerns.
Apart from a 250 percent rise in gynaecological consultations, Practo Health Insights indicate that one in every three consults that came from women since the coronavirus outbreak is for gynaecology-related issues. Other insight include:
- Most of the queries are coming from people in the age group of 21-30, followed by people in the age group of 31 to 40.
- There has been a significant rise in the number of women aged 60 and above consulting gynaecologists online.
- 52 percent of all gynaecology-related consults are from women, while 48% of the queries are from men, possibly for their spouse, and female family members.
- Gynaecology was the most consulted specialty among women, with 50 percent of the consults coming from Tier-I cities, and the rest from Tier-II and other cities in the last few weeks.
- Top metro cities where most of the queries related to gynaecology came from were Bengaluru, followed by Delhi NCR, Pune, Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Chennai.
- Among the Metro cities, Delhi witnessed a growth of 350 percent.
- In Tier-II cities, most of the queries came from Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Bhubaneswar, and Mysore.
- Top queries discussed were period problems, pregnancy complications during coronavirus, birth control techniques, and miscarriage.
Dr Vanita Vaishnav, an obstetrician and gynaecologist in Bengaluru says, “We have been receiving a lot of queries online in the last few days owing to increased awareness on telemedicine amid the COVID-19 crisis and lockdown. Digital platforms like Practo provide a great opportunity for people, especially women to seek medical assistance from specialised doctors by empowering them with the right information, and easy access to quality healthcare.”
Edited by Kanishk Singh