Orange City Hospital & Research Institute has been recognized as the trusted health care center of Central India. OCHRI is the only private hospital that is asked to keep Health emergency health assistance readiness officially by government during visit of any VVIPs to Nagpur. OCHRI has always been asked by Government to help them during any calamity. Recently OCHRI was asked by Government to commission Covid unit wherein they had initiated Covid Division in one of their 3 buildings. More than 350 Covid patients have been treated at OCHRI till date. In OCHRI Covid Division; Dr. Nandu Kolwadkar leads team of Dr. Samir Choudhary, Dr. Santosh Dhole, Dr. Ravindra Sawarkar, Dr.Sushant while Nursing team is led by Sr. Jessy Abraham and Sr. Rahel Patrange whereas Shri.Sawant Waghmare and Shri.Avinash Ganar lead the team of Paramedical staff. RMO team is led by Dr. Avez Hasan. Dr. Noorul Ameen is the Admission Coordinator while Dr.Anit Prakash and Dr.Kavita Dhurvey are the Spokespersons.
The recent Covid Pandemic has led to study of many complications of this disease.  A post Covid OPD is also functional at OCHRI by Dr. Devyani Buche, Senior Physician. It was noted that many post Covid patients showed cardiac complications.
Dr. Ravindra Sawarkar- Physician said that Covid infection may directly affect cardiovascular disease (CVD). Patients with CVD who are infected by the virus have an elevated risk of adverse outcomes, and infection itself is associated with CV (Cardiovascular) complications.
Dr. Devyani Buche- Senior Physician added that increased age, specifically elderly group of population is the strongest risk factor for CVD other risk factor being diabetes and hyperlipidemia which affects immune function, and conversely, dysregulated immunologic status corresponds with elevated risk of incident CVD.
Highlighting this severity of this observation; Dr. Sanjay Gidhwani- Cardiologist conveyed that CV complications include biomarker elevations, myocarditis, Arrhythmia, Acute coronary syndrome, heart failure, and venous thromboembolism. Hence assessment of cardiac function by Echo in all post Covid patients is must for those who get hospitalized for moderate to severe COVID 19 infection, he added.
Dr. Sanjay Gidhwani further underlined that even patients may need Cardiac MRI for assessment of deterioration of LV Function (due to myocarditis). Involvement of Pericardium, myocardium and Myopericardium is not uncommon as per recent study. Though not very common, but it will not be unusual to see heart attack occurring in Moderate and severe cases of Covid infection along with clot formation in heart chambers. Hence regular cardiac follow-up is essential for all recovered Covid patients.
Lastly Dr. Nandu Kolwadkar- OCHRI Covid Team Incharge conveyed a public message that Covid does not only affects Lungs. Rather it has multisystem impact. It does affects Lungs mostly but it also has impact on Heart, Brain, Kidney and vascular system as well. Its impact on individual health may be simple malaise to recovery to its devastating effects like ARDS, Heart Attacks, Brain Stroke, Venous Thromboembolism, Cardiogenic Shock etc. So post Covid patients should be under regular follow-up.
