Panic among health workers as another doctor tests positive for coronavirus

The new infections and growing crowds outside government hospitals has made many health workers nervous and prompted authorities to take additional precautions to safeguard staff.

A 25-year-old junior resident doctor of the King George Medical University in Lucknow tested positive for coronavirus after coming in contact with two patients undergoing treatment, a hospital spokesperson said on Wednesday, becoming the second doctor to contract the deadly infection.

The doctor was kept in an isolation ward and is undergoing treatment. (Samir Jana / Hindustan Times)

The doctor was kept in an isolation ward and is undergoing treatment, the spokesperson said. “The junior resident doctor is being treated, and he is fine,” said spokesperson Sudhir Singh. Two days ago, a 63-year-old doctor who treated India’s first coronavirus victim in Karnataka’s Kalaburagi had also tested positive for the infection.

The new infections and growing crowds outside government hospitals has made many health workers nervous and prompted authorities to take additional precautions to safeguard staff.

Two Delhi government hospitals that have started receiving suspected Covid-19 cases have cut down on their outpatient registration timing to limit the number of people who walk in. They are also preparing to defer the pre-scheduled non-emergency surgeries.

At Lok Nayak hospital, the registration timing was cut from the current four hours to 1.5 hours. “Today, the hospital was crowded as usual. This may be because people were not aware of the restrictions. We might see a decline tomorrow onwards. If the numbers do not go down, we have to bring in more restrictions,” said Dr Kishore Singh, medical director of Lok Nayak hospital.

The All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS) has also curbed outpatient timings while Safdarjung hospital has cut down on elective procedures. Such steps, experts say, is aimed at avoiding overcrowding and increasing capacity.

“To minimise exposure, we have created the isolation facility at superspeciality block where patients do not go right now. The staff – doctors, nurses, paramedical and sanitation staff – who work in the ward do not come to the other areas of the hospital,” said Dr Balvinder Singh, medical director of Safdarjung hospital.

At the time when doctors are recommend social distancing, government hospitals continue to remain crowded.

“If you go to a mall in Delhi now, it is almost empty. But there hasn’t been a change in the number of people visiting an AIIMS or a Safdarjung, for example. The OPDs and hospital corridors continue to be crowded. Hospitals are essential but the government has to look at ways to cut down the crowd,” said Dr MC Mishra, former director of AIIMS.

He suggested patients who did not need emergency care stay at home and contact their doctors over the phone.

“People have to be made aware that they might catch the infection in the hospital. Doctors can provide consultation over WhatsApp or Facetime or something,” said Mishra.

Over 300 people reached the Covid-19 sample collection centre at Dr Ram Manohar Lohia hospital on Tuesday. Most of them did not need the test.

“A waiting hall with spaced out seating area should be created for people waiting to give their samples. Or a time-slot should be allotted so that too many people do not reach the centre all at once. And, someone should keep sending those not in need of the test back…Letting people at high risk of having the infection sit with others will just lead to virus spread,” Mishra said.

Panic among health workers as another doctor tests positive