Covid +ve doctor on leave found attending to patients

THE DOCTOR VISITS HOSPITAL WITHOUT A MASK, TREATS PATIENTS IN OPERATION THEATRE

In a violation of Covid-19 safety protocols, an anaesthesiologist, who was on quarantine leave after testing positive, was found treating patients in the operation theatre of the Amritsar civil hospital on Friday.

After receiving a complaint from other doctors and medical staff, senior medical officer (SMO) of the civil hospital, Dr Chander Mohan, issued a showcause notice to the anaesthesiologist, Dr Ira Bajaj, for breaking her quarantine period and treating patients despite being infected herself.

Amid an acute shortage of staff at Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Amritsar, some anaesthesiologists and technicians from the civil hospital were deployed on Covid duty at GMCH.

However, Dr Bajaj had denied joining the assigned duties at GMCH citing that she “Covid-19 positive”. The doctor also submitted her positive RT-PCR report to the district hospital authorities on April 25 and took quarantine leave for 14 days.

However, four days after testing positive for the contagious virus, the doctor visited the district hospital without wearing face masks and was found treating patients in the operation theatre. Health experts believe that roaming around the infected person can lead to spreading of the infection.

“Dr Bajaj was tested positive for Covid-19 on April 25 and as per protocol, she was asked to be in quarantine for 14 days. Despite being infected, she was roaming freely in the district hospital. She also gave anaesthesia to a patient in the operation theatre, where another orthopaedic surgeon was also present. This could lead to the spreading of infection to the patients and other medical staff of the hospital. Also, she had clearly denied joining the emergency duties at GMCH due to being infected,” said Rakesh Sharma, chairman, Employees’ Welfare Association of Civil Hospital, Amritsar.

SMO Chander Mohan said, “Dr Bajaj has clearly violated the Covid protocols as she was found treating patients despite being infected. She should not have broken her quarantine period as this could lead to infection spread. A show-cause notice has been issued to her.”

Dr Bajaj said she had visited civil hospital to undergo a repeat Covid test. “After giving the swab sample, I felt uneasiness and went to the operation theatre to sit for a while. I did not give treatment to any patient,” she said.