Students demanding to be tested for Covid-19 create ruckus at GIMS, Noida

A group of students from a Greater Noida college created ruckus at the Government Institute of Medical Sciences (GIMS) Wednesday night when authorities refused to

A group of students from a Greater Noida college created ruckus at the Government Institute of Medical Sciences (GIMS) Wednesday night when authorities refused to allow them to give their swab samples for a Coronavirus test. The hospital authorities had to call the police to control the situation and send the students back.

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“Few students had come to get themselves checked for novel coronavirus. They wanted us to take their samples, which is not possible. We only take samples as per the directions of the chief medical officer. Medical kits to collect samples of suspected Coronavirus patients can’t be wasted. There are hundreds of people down with regular cold, cough or fever who have been coming to get themselves checked for Covid-19 after the outbreak,” GIMS director Dr RK Gupta said.

“Our staff tried to explain the rules to those students, but they started creating a ruckus after which we had to call the police,” Dr Gupta said.

According to the police, no official complaint was registered against the students as they dispersed as soon as the police team reached the GIMS premises.

“We had received a call that a handful of students were creating ruckus at GIMS, but the situation was resolved as soon as our team reached there. The students claimed that there were no doctors available to treat them following which they created a scene. We haven’t registered any complaint, but if the GIMS officials will give us a written complaint, then we follow due process,” Deputy commissioner of police, Zone-3, Rajesh Kumar Singh said.

According to a GIMS official, about 50 people with cold and cough have been approaching GIMS every day to get themselves checked for Covid-19.

Gautam Budh Nagar district magistrate BN Singh said, “I personally held a meeting with all universities to spread awareness on Covid-19. People need to take precautions and not panic. We have been getting in touch with all the possible outfits in the district to spread awareness and to put suspected people under surveillance. I have checked the isolation wards arranged at GIMS and the Super Speciality Pediatric Hospital.”

The health department has reserved 10 beds at Government Institute of Medical Sciences and 9 beds in Super Specialty Children’s Hospital for quarantine, if any case of Covid-19 is confirmed. The department has also zeroed in on the newly built building of district hospital in Sector 39 to be used if the number of Coronavirus cases increases in the district.

Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that cause respiratory illnesses. This family includes the viruses that cause SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome), MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome) and viruses that cause milder illnesses such as the common cold. The outbreak started in China’s Wuhan city.