Healthcare force gets thinner: 57 medics quarantined in Delhi after coming in contact with 'COVID-19' patient

NEW DELHI: Baba Saheb Ambedkar Hospital has sent 57 of its healthcare workers, including doctors and nurses, to quarantine after they came in contact with a suspected COVID-19 patient.

The female patient, a resident of Jahangirpuri came to the medical emergency ward on April 16 late evening.

Since she was suspected of COVID-19, she was admitted to the isolation cubicle of the medical emergency ward. The patient later died on April 18.

A sampling of all contacts and healthcare workers was done after five days of exposure.

Those who were in close contact of this patient will be in strict quarantine within the hospital provided accommodation.

The rejoining of the healthcare workers will be decided as per the existing strength of the hospital.

Last week, 68 healthcare workers including doctors, nurses and other staff of Bhagwan Mahavir Hospital were sent to home quarantine after a COVID suspected 25-year-old pregnant lady died. However, later test results turned out negative.

On Wednesday, a report also came that a nurse from Safdarjung hospital had tested positive for the coronavirus who was posted in the Gynaecology High Dependency Unit (HDU) of the institute.

So far, four doctors including two Gynaecologists of the hospital have tested positive.

One more patient detected positive of the infection succumbed to it taking the toll to 48 in the national capital.

After Max Hospital successfully conducted plasma therapy on 47-year-old COVID positive patient, the Indian Liver and Biliary Science hospital has taken four plasma donations – two on Monday and one each on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively.

The state government also passed an order to all MSs, MDs and Directors of all state government hospitals to make sufficient arrangements for disinfection of hearse vans and ambulances used for the transfer of COVID-19  patients.