Five doctors at AIIMS, Bathinda, test positive for Covid-19 over past 10 days

Eight staff members of the institute are in home quarantine though none of them has a serious health condition, more reports awaited; cases started surfacing after Independence Day function on campus where Covid guidelines were flouted

Bathinda: Five doctors at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Bathinda have tested positive for Covid-19 in the past 10 days.

All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Bathinda, director Dr DK Singh (in dhoti) during the Independence Day function on the campus on August 15. Five doctors, including medical superintendent Dr Satish Gupta, have tested positive in the past 10 days, while the institute director is among those in quarantine. (HT file photo)

AIIMS director Dr DK Singh is among those in home quarantine after three doctors tested positive on Thursday.

Official sources said the cases started surfacing after the AIIMS staff, including the management of the central institute, took part in the Independence Day function on the campus.

Social distancing was not observed at the function and AIIMS staff was seen posing for photos without masks. Officials were seen interacting with colleagues and guests at the event.

AIIMS deputy director Col Devender Rawat (retd) said on Friday that additional medical superintendent Dr Satish Gupta was the first person from the institute to test positive last week.

He said eight staff members of the institute are in home quarantine though none of them has a serious health condition. The official said the report of more staff members is awaited.

Rawat did not deny that Covid-19 guidelines were violated on the campus on August 15. “It is unfair to associate the triggering of infection cases with the Independence Day function. Had it been the case, several more of our team members would have been found infected by now. We have been taking all measures to check any Covid suspect on the campus,” he said.

Bathinda chief medical officer Amrik Singh Sandhu did not respond to phone calls and text messages to know precautionary steps being taken by the health department as the outpatient department service (OPD) is operational at AIIMS.

After it resumed OPD services on April 7, AIIMS made arrangements where patients are attended only in the spacious reception area. Doctors listen to visiting patients through intercom phone lines placed outside rooms with glass partitions.

Rawat said all precautions are being taken at the OPD and only doctors who are not showing any symptom of the infection, are put on duty.