What have we gained and lost during the COVID-19 Pandemic?

Abstract

As I sit on my desk to write this editorial for our journal, I reflect on the experiences, events, and vicissitudes of this strange instance of the COVID-19 pandemic we all are witnessing. During the writing of this editorial, I will aim to keep the focus on the part of experiences and reflections as a psychiatry teacher, clinician, and academician. As the epidemic was spreading in India, newer strategies for containing the virus, flattening the curve, upgrading the medical system to deal with the unprecedented challenges of a large number of critically sick patients, and unique restrictions were being put on the general public to deal with the situations. The pandemic, by its very nature, was sudden, unexpected, and devastating on several fronts. It disrupted routine clinical care for the patients with psychiatric illnesses, services offered at both the outdoor and inpatients system of institutions other than COVID-19 patients in a substantial way.[1] A massive rearrangement of workflow and prioritization of services was needed. It is needless to say that this influenced the momentum of educational training and teaching worldwide.[2] Trainees from all the disciplines, including psychiatry, were pulled out of their routine teaching and training and were quickly trained and posted to the care of COVID-19 patients. Mental health professionals played a vital role in the management of the pandemic in India. However, it was challenging to balance the standards of education of psychiatry trainees with other responsibilities related to COVID19. Several key agencies, including WHO, ICMR, and other international and national bodies, advocated an increased need for mental health care of patients, health professionals, and the general public. Still, the challenges in training were difficult to manage. Several lost opportunities, miscalculations, inappropriate responses, and new and unique learning experiences happened due to our unpreparedness for the pandemic. Although I am cognizant that not all issues and their possible answers can be discussed in sufficient detail in this editorial, this document attempts to go through a few important pieces of information in this regard.