40 PMCH docs, paramedical staff undergo Covid-19 test

PATNA: The Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) administration on Monday tested 40 doctors and paramedical staff for Covid-19 after seven of its doctors, including five women medicos of gynaecology and anaesthesia department, were found infected by the virus late Sunday evening.
“Those infected are under surveillance in separate rooms of the cottage ward,” PMCH principal Dr VP Choudhary told this newspaper.
“We directed about 40 other doctors and paramedical staff of these two departments to undergo test. If needed, we may go for testing the doctors of other departments as well,” he said.
The PMCH officials said four teams were constituted to collect samples from the 40 persons, while the department of microbiology was asked to work expeditiously and give the test reports by late Monday evening, so that further course of preventive measures could be initiated without any delay.
“Doctors and staff have been put on roster duty in the cottage ward for providing medical facilities to those undergoing treatment there. However, as a precautionary step, there is also a plan for testing all doctors and paramedics of the cottage ward as there is a chance to contract the infection in course of offering medicare to others,” Dr Choudhary said.
He added: “We are also in contact with the health department for offering them an option of home isolation, provided any or all of them agree to it. Wards of all departments were being sanitized to check the Covid virus spread.”
Meanwhile, Patna civil surgeon Dr R K Choudhary said one doctor of a private hospital at Raja Bazar was also diagnosed Covid-positive.
“As informed by the hospital administration, the doctor’s samples tested positive at the Sen lab and he was referred to the AIIMS-Patna for treatment,” he said, adding that no corona positive case was reported from any primary health centre or private hospital in the state capital.