Medical professionals hit hard as city sees spike in cases

NEW DELHI: Since the national Capital is witnessing sudden increase in number of COVID-19 cases these days, medical professionals or other frontline staff working with major hospitals are also facing the heat.

Many of the staffs who detected Coronavirus have succumbed to the disease while many others have been battling for life at various hospitals. Both Centre-run All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), and Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital (RML) have reported nearly 480 COVID-19 positive cases and more than 80 cases separately. In Delhi government-run hospitals, Lok Nayak Hospital has reported nearly 85 positive cases among its staff while other hospitals, too, have reported dozens of cases separately. North Mcd-run Hindu Rao Hospital has reported nearly 40 cases of COVID-19 among its staff including senior doctors, nurses and others.

Among the infected staff in AIIMS, 19 are doctors while 38 are nurses. Two doctors are faculty members and the rest are residents. Apart from this, 74 security staff, 75 hospital attendants, 54 sanitation staff and 14 laboratory technicians and OT staffs have been infected.

Three of the healthcare workers died after contracting Coronavirus, among them was the head of the hospital’s sanitation staff. A mess worker at the hospital has also died after contracting the virus, prompting allegations from the Resident Doctors’ Association that the precautionary measures it demanded weeks ago, had not been taken.

In RML hospital, the Dean of the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Medical Sciences contracted the Coronavirus infection following which underwent convalescent plasma therapy at the Max Smart Super Specialty Hospital in the city. Dr Rajeev Sood, who was looking after the management of COVID-19 manpower at the hospital, had tested positive for the infection on May 23 after which he was in home isolation. His wife and son-in-law also had tested positive for the virus subsequently.

On May 30, the medical director of the Lok Nayak Hospital and two other staff members of the COVID19-dedicated facility, have tested positive for Coronavirus infection, officials said on Saturday. Dr Suresh Kumar was appointed the medical director of the facility, Delhi government’s largest hospital, on May 17.

“His sample was taken and the result tested positive. Two other staff members have also tested positive,” a senior official had said.

Earlier, a gynaecology doctor of Hindu Rao Hospital tested positive for Coronavirus. Besides this, dozens of doctors and many other medical staff tested positive. North MCD’S Kasturba Hospital also reported scores of positive cases among its staffs that created panic.