Over 1,160 who came in contact with doctor asked to quarantine

NEW DELHI: The Delhi government’s health department has asked over 1,169 people, who had come in contact with a Mohalla Clinic doctor in north-east Delhi, to remain in home quarantine for 14 days. Of these, most were patients who visited the clinic between March 12 and 18. Around 30 to 40 patients were those who visited the doctor’s private clinic in Old Seemapuri.

The 49-year-old doctor who worked at a Mohalla Clinic in north-east Delhi’s Maujpur had tested positive for Covid-19 on March 21. On Wednesday, his wife (48) and daughter (17) also tested positive for the infection. The doctor contracted the infection from a 38-year-old woman from Dilshad Garden, who had visited the doctor’s private clinic on March 12, with symptoms such as cough and fever.

The authorities have put out notices asking people to report to them in case they had visited the clinic of the doctor. The woman had also passed on the infection to her 65-year-old mother and 35-year-old brother living in Jahangirpuri. Two of her other relatives – sisters aged 24 and 26 – living in Dilshad Garden also got the infection from her. They tested positive on March 20 and 21.

In Jahangirpuri, a 35-year-old friend of the woman, who came in contact with her, has also tested positive.

These cases came to light after the Delhi government health workers started tracing the people the initial patient had come in contact with after her test came back positive on March 18. She had returned from Saudi Arabia on March 10.

The health workers also traced over 1,200 people living in almost 470 houses in the area where she lived. All these people have been asked to remain home quarantine and call the surveillance officer in case they start developing symptoms.

“Since the woman was diagnosed on March 18, the health workers have gone door to door in the area to check whether anyone was symptomatic. They visited 450 to 500 houses – roughly 1,200 people – in the neighbourhood and all of them have been asked to remain in quarantine.

Regular updates will be taken to check whether they develop any symptoms,” said an official from Delhi government’s health department.

As on Thursday, the Delhi government is monitoring 2,920 persons who came in contact with the 39 positive patients from Delhi, most of them are contacts of the 38-year-old woman and the Mohalla Clinic doctor.

Scotching apprehensions over availability of doctors at Mohalla Clinics, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday

assured that the clinics will remain open.

“One of our doctors from Mohalla Clinic and his wife and daughter tested positive for Covid-19.

This is sad. But, there is a misconception that the clinics will be shut. If we shut Mohalla Clinics, then people will have to go to hospitals,” Kejriwal said. There are 450 mohalla clinics in Delhi that provide free consultation, medicines, and 212 tests.