228 - Impact of covid pandemic on people with locomotor disability in north india during last three years: A cross sectional analysis

Objectives:
To assess, analyse and infer the impact of coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on people living with locomotor disability during the last 3 years in North India.

Design:
Locomotor disabled patients who satisfied inclusion criteria were given a previously validated and tested questionnaire covering the topics highlighting the effect of pandemic on general health, financial burden, psychological and mental health, social life and behaviour, disability and comorbidities management and transportation and health care accessibility during the last 3years.

Patients with locomotor disability, already enrolled and under treatment at two different tertiary care hospitals in Lucknow and New Delhi, India. The responses to the questions were noted and analysed for measuring the impact of pandemic on locomotor disabled population.

Results:
The last 3 years of COVID 19 pandemic had adversely affected people living with locomotor disability, ranging from loss of wages and financial crisis, anxiety, depression and lack of sleep. People with disabilities had limited reach to health and community services that were vital for them, including basic life and functional needs besides risks of mistreatment and other psychological consequences.

Conclusions: This analysis suggests that the root cause of pandemic disparities is the lack of disability-inclusive planning, and more significantly the pre-existing socio-economic disparities and challenges that disabled people have been experiencing for long time. We suggest that
unambiguous

public health and policy responses should be incorporated , and health, social participation, and socio-economic disparity causes for disabled people should be addressed in tandem.