Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Virus fight ‘has united us’, says GP

by LAUREN CODLING

AN ASIAN GP has praised his colleagues and the local community for “coming together” during the Covid-19 crisis.


As Eastern Eye went to press on Tuesday (14), more than 93,800 confirmed cases of coronavirus had been confirmed in the UK. At least 12,100 have died in hospitals after contracting the infection.

Speaking to Eastern Eye last week, Dr Amit Anand* revealed how his community in east Leeds have come together to support the local doctors’ surgery as cases continued to rise across the country.

Some retired NHS staff have offered to help out at the practice when needed, while others have volunteered to deliver medicine to elderly people who are unable to leave their homes. The surgery has also received homemade personal protective equipment (PPE) from local schools. The art and design department of a local secondary school delivered protective visors for staff to wear while assessing patients.

“The local community has been very helpful,” Dr Anand said. “We’ve had a number of volunteer groups who have contacted us to see if they can help. It has been really great to see.”

Staff members at the surgery have also made efforts to “chip in” and ensure they provide as much help as they can.

“I’ve been very impressed as everyone has come together for a common cause,” the GP said. “It has brought us a lot closer together than we have normally been.”

Dr Anand, who is currently working full-time, admitted he was initially “fearful” when the outbreak began. He suffers from type 1 diabetes so is considered to be in a high risk group, meaning he had an increased chance of developing a severe illness from the virus.

“I was apprehensive when seeing patients as I know that those with diabetes don’t seem to do well when infected,” he said, saying that the PPE initially provided for staff did not feel adequate to protect them from the virus. At first, employees were given face masks and gloves which were readily available at the surgery before the outbreak began, and aprons.

“We didn’t think they would do much at all,” he said.

In response, Dr Anand revealed that the practice bought its own set of scrubs and also sourced PPE while waiting for supplies from elsewhere. The lack of protection meant he was wary of treating patients with Covid-19 symptoms. “For those patients, I didn’t even allow them to sit down,” he said.

Dr Anand has since begun working remotely from home and speaks to patients via the phone or on video calls. “I think if I was at work now, I would definitely feel quite fearful and would have to say that I wouldn’t want to see a patient with suspected coronavirus,” he admitted.

Although Dr Anand noted that Yorkshire was behind London in relation to confirmed cases, the surgery has begun to prepare for busy periods. For instance, it remained open during the Easter bank holiday weekend, and staff members have offered to work on days they had booked off for annual leave.

The workload of administrative staff has also increased, Dr Anand claimed, as many were dealing with an increase in calls. “Some patients are trying to get bulk prescription orders, the same way that some people are bulk-buying food from shops,” he explained.

Currently, Dr Anand speaks to approximately 35-40 patients per day. He estimates that 20-30 per cent have been suffering with coronavirus symptoms. To avoid the infection spreading, the government has advised people not to go to GP surgeries if they are showing Covid-19 symptoms.

“The strategy is to reduce footfall and interaction between patients and staff,” Dr Anand explained. “Pretty much all practices are using telephones and are bringing minimal amounts of patients to the surgery.”

There have been a number of other changes to the everyday routine of GPs to halt the spread of the virus – for instance, some patients have started being examined in their cars. “This is not for everything, but we use it more for respiratory kinds of symptoms,” Dr Anand revealed. “Things like tonsillitis, where we can examine patients in their cars with a temperature probe, and give treatment from that point of view.”

*Name has been changed in order to protect identity

More For You

​Dilemmas of dating in a digital world

We are living faster than ever before

AMG

​Dilemmas of dating in a digital world

Shiveena Haque

Finding romance today feels like trying to align stars in a night sky that refuses to stay still

When was the last time you stumbled into a conversation that made your heart skip? Or exchanged a sweet beginning to a love story - organically, without the buffer of screens, swipes, or curated profiles? In 2025, those moments feel rarer, swallowed up by the quickening pace of life.

Keep ReadingShow less
sugary drinks and ice cream

Researchers from the UK and US analysed data from American households between 2004 and 2019

iStock

Global warming may drive higher consumption of sugary drinks and ice cream, study warns

Highlights:

  • Hotter days linked to greater intake of sugary drinks and frozen desserts
  • Lower-income households most affected, research finds
  • Climate change could worsen health risks linked to sugar consumption
  • Study based on 15 years of US household food purchasing data

Sugary consumption rising with heat

People are more likely to consume sugary drinks and ice cream on warmer days, particularly in lower-income households, according to new research. The study warns that climate change could intensify this trend, adding to health risks as global temperatures continue to rise.

Sugar consumption is a major contributor to obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, and has surged worldwide in recent decades. The findings, published in Nature Climate Change, suggest that rising heat could be nudging more people towards high-sugar products such as soda, juice and ice cream.

Keep ReadingShow less
Camellia Panjabi's cookbook elevates
vegetables from sides to stars

Camellia Panjabi (Photo: Ursula Sierek)

Camellia Panjabi's cookbook elevates vegetables from sides to stars

RESTAURATEUR and writer Camellia Panjabi puts the spotlight on vegetables in her new book, as she said they were never given the status of a “hero” in the way fish, chicken or prawns are.

Panjabi’s Vegetables: The Indian Way features more than 120 recipes, with notes on nutrition, Ayurvedic insights and cooking methods that support digestion.

Keep ReadingShow less
Spotting the signs of dementia

Priya Mulji with her father

Spotting the signs of dementia

How noticing the changes in my father taught me the importance of early action, patience, and love

I don’t understand people who don’t talk or see their parents often. Unless they have done something to ruin your lives or you had a traumatic childhood, there is no reason you shouldn’t be checking in with them at least every few days if you don’t live with them.

Keep ReadingShow less
HH Guruji performed the Dhwaja Ritual at Ambaji Temple

HH Guruji performed the Dhwaja Ritual at Ambaji Temple

Mahesh Liloriya

The holy town of Ambaji witnessed a spiritually significant day on Sunday as His Holiness Siri Rajrajeshwar Guruji, head of the International Siddhashram Shakti Centre, London, performed the Dhwaja ritual at the historic Ambaji Temple in Gujarat, one of the most revered Shakti Peeths of India.

Keep ReadingShow less