All elective procedures and non-emergency services at the Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology will be deferred till Thursday after several patients and medical staff tested positive for COVID-19 in the last few weeks.
Chemotherapy and radiotherapy sessions have been deferred and the operation theatre has been closed. However, emergency services will remain open.
In the last three weeks, 12 cancer patients and 10 staff, including doctors and nurses, tested positive for COVID-19 at the institute.
C. Ramachandra, institute director, said: “We have identified around 60 of their primary contacts, who are under quarantine and will be tested for COVID-19. We found that the infection spread through one of the technicians. Besides this, a nursing staff may have contracted it from family.”
He added that all patients who enter the hospital have to undergo COVID-19 test at the entrance, and only later get admitted. The director also said that the premises would be disinfected this week. While the patient inflow in the hospital prior to COVID-19 was over 1,500, currently, there are around 1,000 patients and attenders in the institute.
12 positive in NIMHANS
Over the last two days, 12 people in National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS) have tested positive. This includes four patients and a caretaker, while the remaining are staff. Shashidhara H.N., resident medical officer of the institute, said they were investigating the source of the spread. He also said that patient services remained unaffected as the institute was shifting the departments to other blocks.
You have reached your limit for free articles this month.
To get full access, please subscribe.
Already have an account ? Sign in
Show Less Plan
Subscription Benefits Include
Today's Paper
Find mobile-friendly version of articles from the day's newspaper in one easy-to-read list.
Faster pages
Move smoothly between articles as our pages load instantly.
Unlimited Access
Enjoy reading as many articles as you wish without any limitations.
Dashboard
A one-stop-shop for seeing the latest updates, and managing your preferences.
Personalised recommendations
A select list of articles that match your interests and tastes.
Briefing
We brief you on the latest and most important developments, three times a day.
*Our Digital Subscription plans do not currently include the e-paper ,crossword, iPhone, iPad mobile applications and print. Our plans enhance your reading experience.
A letter from the Editor
Dear subscriber,
Thank you!
Your support for our journalism is invaluable. It’s a support for truth and fairness in journalism. It has helped us keep apace with events and happenings.
The Hindu has always stood for journalism that is in the public interest. At this difficult time, it becomes even more important that we have access to information that has a bearing on our health and well-being, our lives, and livelihoods. As a subscriber, you are not only a beneficiary of our work but also its enabler.
We also reiterate here the promise that our team of reporters, copy editors, fact-checkers, designers, and photographers will deliver quality journalism that stays away from vested interest and political propaganda.
Suresh Nambath