Panic among health workers as another doctor tests positive

TWO DELHI GOVT HOSPITALS THAT HAVE STARTED RECEIVING SUSPECTED CASES HAVE CUT DOWN ON OUTPATIENT REGISTRATION TIMING

NEW DELHI: 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 isolation and is undergoing treatment, the spokesperson said. “He is being treated, and he is fine,” said spokesperson Sudhir Singh. Two days ago, a 63-yearold 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 hospitals has made health workers nervous and prompted authorities to take 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 walking in.

They are preparing to defer the non-emergency surgeries. At Lok Nayak hospital, the registration timing was cut from four 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,” said Dr Kishore Singh, medical director of Lok Nayak hospital.

The All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS) has curbed outpatient timings while Safdarjung has cut down on elective procedures. Such steps, experts say, is aimed at avoiding overcrowding. “To minimise exposure, we have created the isolation facility at superspeciality block where patients do not go right now. The 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, it is almost empty. But there hasn’t been a change in the number of people visiting an AIIMS or a Safdarjung. Hospitals are essential but the government has to look at ways to cut down the crowd,” said Dr MC Mishra, former director of AIIMS.

“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 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 or a time-slot should be allotted so that too many people do not reach at once...,” Mishra said.