76-year-old woman becomes Panchkula’s first Covid-19 fatality
Suffered from chronic kidney disease and diabetes; Alchemist Hospital put on notice for lapses
PANCHKULA : The district registered its first Covid-19 fatality with the death of a 76-yearold woman from Sector 12, Panchkula.
Besides, six new cases were confirmed, taking the district tally to 119.
The elderly woman, who had tested positive on June 26, was a chronic kidney disease patient, suffered from diabetes and had even undergone a coronary artery bypass surgery in the past.She was undergoing treatment at Alchemist Hospital, Sector 21, for the past 14 days and was tested positive by a private laboratory.
Finding lapses at the hospital in Covid-19 management, the administration has issued it a show-cause notice.
Health authorities have also sealed an ICU at the hospital for the next 72 hours for fumigation. Besides, planned surgeries have been put on hold.
“The notice has been issued after finding a few shortcomings. Action will be taken on the basis of the hospital’s response,” said Mukesh Kumar Ahuja, deputy commissioner, Panchkula.
Civil surgeon Jasjeet Kaur said shutting down the Covid care facility at the hospital was not feasible, but they been asked to take measures to check spread of infection.
DOCTOR TESTS POSITIVE
A 41-year-old doctor at the hospital tested positive for Covid-19 on Thursday. Apart from this doctor, who lives in Dhakoli, Mohali, two other doctors, a staff nurse and three patients, who were taking treatment for chronic kidney failure in the hospital, have been found infected previously. These include the 76-year-old woman.
Hospital authorities have isolated five consultants and five staff members, besides testing 60 staff members.
“One of the doctors, who tested positive on June 27, had been attending to patients. Others found positive are all members of his team. They have been isolated,” a senior official of the hospital said.
CROWDING WENT UNCHECKED
During a recent inspection, the district health authorities had flagged improper crowd management at the hospital, despite high footfall.
“We had asked them to ensure no crowding took place,” said Rajiv Narwal, nodal officer for Covid-19, Panchkula.
“The flu corner is located inside the hospital, while it should be outside the building. There are no separate entry points. We had asked for actiontaken report within 48 hours, but so far, the hospital has neither complied with our instructions nor filed the report,” he added.
HOSPITAL SAYS TAKING ALL PRECAUTIONS
Hospital’s medical superintendent Dr Parmjit Singh Mann said, “In view of the Covid-19 pandemic, hospital management is taking all necessary precautions. Elective surgeries have already been minimised. All high-risk patients are being tested for Covid-19.”
“To minimise rush, alternate days/timings of a few OPDs and appointment-based OPD consultation are already in place. All OPD areas are being cleaned after every two hours with disinfectant solution, and at night, all OPD rooms are fumigated, besides placing alcohol-based hand rub at all strategic locations,” he said.
“Many positive patients have been successfully treated and discharged by the hospital,” Mann added.
SIX NEW CASES CONFIRMED
The district tally rose to 119 with six new cases on Thursday. Of these, 91 have been discharged. There are now 28 active cases.
Among the latest cases is a 20-year-old woman from Marranwala village in Kalka. She had recently travelled to Uttar Pradesh.
A 29-year-old man, living in the Housing Board Complex, Kalka, was also confirmed infected. He is a contact of an already positive patient. A 63-year-man from Pinjore, and a 22-year-old man from Indira Colony, with a travel history of Delhi, were also found positive.
The remaining two patients are two men, aged 59 and 25, both residents of Sector 17, Panchkula, and contacts of positive patients.