INFLUENCE OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC ON MEDICAL CONSULTATIONS IN OUTPATIENTS CLINICS, SOUTHWESTERN NIGERIA - A COMMENTARY

Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) is the largest outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). It was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) on 11 March 2019, and it has since disrupted many health systems and a threat to the fragile, unprepared health care services in LMICs. Many patients avoided the health facilities despite battling with chronic non-communicable diseases which needed medical attention. Hence, the healthcare providers had to devise means of ensuring the running of essential medical services amidst the pandemic. Scheduled patients' appointments and medical consultations through telemedicine were adopted. A scrutiny of the adjustment in the routine medical consultations in a limited resource country like Nigeria will help to identify the strength and limitations in sustaining safe consultations even after COVID-19 pandemic.