Panic grips residential society after cancer patient and visiting nurse test Covid-19 positive

High drama was seen outside the Ajnara Daffodil society in Sector 137 on Thursday after the medical and paramedical staff of Felix hospital staged a protest against

High drama was seen outside the Ajnara Daffodil society in Sector 137 on Thursday after the medical and paramedical staff of Felix hospital staged a protest against residents, in the wake of a breast cancer patient, a resident of the society, testing positive for the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) on May 4. Her husband, two children and six relatives have been put under institutional quarantine.

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Health officials said the woman is undergoing treatment for Covid-19 and cancer at a private hospital in Delhi. Her breast carcinoma, in its third stage, was detected on April 8 and she underwent one chemotherapy session in Delhi. But on April 27, her blood count dipped drastically and the woman’s husband called home a nurse from the Felix hospital to give her an injection.

On Thursday, the 22-year-old nurse and her 20-year-old male colleague were among 10 people who tested positive for Covid-19 in Gautam Budh Nagar. The total number of cases in the district has now reached 202.

The husband of the cancer patient said there were high chances that his wife got the infection from the nurse. Also, on May 4, a 47-year-old man from Ghaziabad who was undergoing treatment at the Felix Hospital in Sector 137 had died of Covid-19.

The husband tweeted on Thursday that a majority of the Felix hospital staff are infected which is leading to the spread of the infection. His tweet started a panic in the society.

The Felix hospital staff and its chairman took umbrage to the claims made by the man and other residents. The doctors and paramedical then reached Ajnara Daffodil society and staged a protest against residents trying to defame the hospital.

“The nurse who was visiting my wife was positive for Covid-19 as well as a colleague of hers. I suspect that my wife might have contracted the infection from her. I am currently in paid quarantine along with my two children, aged 6 and 12 years. Our samples have also been taken for testing. It is very upsetting that the Felix hospital, instead of taking responsibility for the spread of the disease, is blaming us and other residents,” the cancer patient’s husband said.

The Felix hospital chairman said he will take legal action against residents who have claimed that his hospital staff are infected.

“I am going to lodge an FIR against the husband of the cancer patient for trying to defame our hospital. We are providing our services in this crisis situation but even then, people are trying to malign our image. This man has been tweeting that 80% of our staff are Covid-19 positive, which is not true as only two of our staff members have tested positive till now. We are the front-line warriors in the fight against Covid-19 and if this is how we are treated, then we will not be able to provide our services. We held a protest outside the society against the allegations made by residents there,” Dr DK Gupta, chairman, Felix hospital, said.

The society people are also worried because the husband of the woman had distributed food among the security guards and maintenance persons before his wife was found positive for the infection. All guards and maintenance persons have now been quarantined.

“All our guards and maintenance persons have been quarantined as they had come in contact with the family. People are now panicking. The nurse who tested positive was also visiting our society. She was also attending to patients in nearby societies,” an Ajnara Daffodil resident, who did not want to be named, said.

Some of the residents sought the district magistrate’s help on social media to take legal action against the hospital for staging a protest when prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC has been imposed in the district. No protest is allowed till the time the prohibitory orders are in place.

“The protest by the Felix staff is in direct violation of the Section 144 and we will take strict legal action against the hospital,” Harish Chander, deputy commissioner of police, zone 2, said.

“We are already looking into the matter. Protests are not allowed when Section 144 is enforced in the district and police will take the required action,” Suhas LY, district magistrate, Gautam Budh Nagar, said.

On Thursday, three male housekeeping staff from the Sharda Hospital tested positive for Covid-19. Three female patients -- a 4-year-old, a 5-year-old and 33-year-old from the Nat Madiya village in Greater Noida --were also positive for the infection. The three females are linked to a paramedical staff of the Government Institute of Medical Sciences who tested positive for Covid-19 earlier. A 17-year-old girl from sector 8 and a 55-year-old man from sector 15 were also found positive for the infection.