Karnataka: 19 VIMS staff, including six doctors test positive; hospital sanitised

BALLARI: Doctors, nurses and staff at the Vijayanagar Institute of Medical Sciences (VIMS), Ballari, who were involved in treating non-Covid patients, tested positive on Friday.
The 19 staffers include six doctors, two staff nurses and lab technicians.
VIMS director Dr Devanand told STOI that a patient with a severe orthopaedic problem and needed emergency surgery was admitted to the hospital. “Since the patient was asymptomatic, we went ahead with the emergency surgery without waiting for Covid-19 results. However, the result said he was Covid positive.”
The surgeons and nurses contracted infection from the patient who also infected lab technicians and some PG students.
“As we are dealing with asymptomatic patients, it has become a challenge for us to protect ourselves from the infection. All 19 staff members contracted the infection from one asymptomatic patient,” Dr Devanand said.
The entire hospital was disinfected on Saturday. About 20 other staffers are under quarantine and about 60 persons who are primary contacts of the infected have been identified and their samples have been sent for testing, he said.