Elderly patients skipping regular check-ups due to biting cold in Delhi: Docs

 As Delhi continues to reel under severe cold conditions, city doctors have said that the elderly residents are skipping their regular appointments, which may have a long-term adverse impact on their health.

Dr Sushila Kataria, senior director of Internal Medicine at Medanta, Gurugram, said it is common for elderly individuals, especially those with chronic conditions like diabetes, heart problems, or tuberculosis, to skip their regular health check-ups during winter months.

“While these patients typically adhere to their appointments throughout the year, the colder months witness a noticeable shift in behaviour, resulting in delayed appointments and missed opportunities to fine-tune medication regimens, potentially leading to complications and more severe health problems,” she told PTI.

Delhi has been seeing a drop in minimum temperatures since the beginning of January. On Tuesday, the national capital recorded a low of 3.5 degrees Celsius. The season’s coldest morning was registered here on Monday with a low of 3.3 degrees Celsius, four notches below the average.

Paras Hospital in Gurugram has been seeing a five to 10 per cent rise in the frequency of senior patients missing their visits in the past month.

“The start of the cold wave has coincided with a noticeable rise in the number of senior citizens skipping their routine health examinations over the past few weeks. The impact is seen across various specialties, but particularly in general medicine,” Dr

RR Dutta, Head of Department, Internal Medicine at the Paras hospital, said. Talking about the vulnerability of the elderly during the winter months, Dr. Mukesh Mehra, director, Internal Medicine, Max Super Speciality Hospital, Patparganj, Delhi, said due to their compromised immune systems, they are more vulnerable to seasonal illnesses.