It attended to 21 patients on Tuesday, of which one was referred to Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality hospital after the patient had flu-like symptoms. Two patients had died after contracting the virus.
Shut for almost three weeks, the Delhi State Cancer Institute restarted its OPD services on Tuesday. The institute, which saw 31 positive cases of Covid-19, including healthcare workers, patients and attendants, reopened after a thorough sanitisation process.
It attended to 21 patients on Tuesday, of which one was referred to Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality hospital after the patient had flu-like symptoms. Two patients had died after contracting the virus.
While the institute has disinfected the campus and daily sanitisation process is on, the administration is exploring getting a thorough examination of the central air conditioning system to ensure there is no possibility of the disease being spread through that medium. The hospital is taking technical advice from experts on the matter.
“We have written to the company for expert advice on the issue. While there is no evidence that this is an airborne disease, we want to take all precautionary measures for future reference. The company has given us some advice but we have asked them to personally visit the campus and check the air-conditioning system of the hospital. All other steps have been taken and this is the final move before we start indoor services,” said Dr B L Sherwal, medical director of the institute.
The general ward of the hospital, declared the ‘outbreak area’ by the administration, has been lying shut since then. The hospital has requested the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to examine the area with a holistic approach.
The institute witnessed its first Covid-19 case on March 31 when a 34-year-old resident doctor from the department of preventive oncology tested positive. With an OPD of over 1,000 patients a day, the hospital has now decided to start online registration of patients. A maximum limit of 100 patients per day has been decided by the hospital for the next few days.
“We will be carefully taking the patients inside the hospital by following social distancing rules,” said Dr Sherwal.
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