Docs scared as radiologist tests +ve

The premier medical institution Sri Chitra Tirunal Institute of Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST) Thiruvananthapuram has been virtually closed after a doctor who returned from Spain tested positive for Covid-19.

The radiologist returned from Spain after attending a training programme. His final confirmation report came on Sunday following which there was scare in the institution.

Subsequently the health officials began an exercise to identify the primary and secondary contacts. Senior doctors, patients and their bystanders have been categorised as primary contacts, the secondary contact list figures mainly family members of the doctors.

Senior doctors of six major departments have been asked to remain under home quarantine for two weeks. Similar instructions have been given to the patients and bystanders who figure in primary list. The families of the doctors and those in the secondary list have been put under close surveillance. On his arrival in Thiruvananthapuram on March 1, the radiologist had not presented any symptoms. He reported for duty at the lab the next day. Since Spain was not identified a high risk country then, the doctor continued his routine work daily till March 5.

Though he took two days leave, it was only on March 8 that the symptoms began to surface. It is alleged that despite reporting the symptoms to the health officials and also sharing his travel history with them, he was not asked to remain on home quarantine which is a standard instruction now.

As a result he attended the highly crowded OP clinic on March 10 and 11. The hospital authorities, however, maintained that he had examined patients after taking precautionary measures.

Doctors of the anaesthesia department are also under surveillance. Most elective surgeries have been postponed and only emergency cases are being taken up. The health authorities will soon release the route map.