Challenges faced by ophthalmologists during COVID-19 era

Abstract

Aim of this study was to assess the different difficulties North Karnataka's ophthalmologists encountered during the COVID-19 pandemic. A online questionnaire was prepared to evaluate the various difficulties faced by the ophthalmologists following the lockdown period in their respective practice areas. Data was collected from the responding ophthalmologists on Google forms and analyzed using SPSS software. A total number of 160 responses were obtained. Most of them (32.59%) were in the age group 40–50 years and were working in private practice (35%). 78.12% of ophthalmologists returned to performing surgical procedures after a gap of more than a month post-lockdown. 38.12% of the participants reported a decrease in their surgical workload of more than 90% within this time frame. Significant fear of getting infected with COVID-19 in the operation theatres was reported. 65.65% of participants used N-95 masks while working. Revenue generation was affected significantly during this lockdown. : It is quite evident that the eye care practitioners have been affected significantly, with patient and staff safety being the major concerns.