51 Kerala nurses test positive in Mumbai
Nurses say they were forced to work without protective gear initially
Kerala which perhaps has the highest number of nursing professionals working in other parts of the country and abroad, is now faced with safety problems concerning Malayali nurses in the wake of Covid-19.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan told mediapersons here that there are reports that 46 Malayali nurses had contracted Covid-19 and 150 nurses were under quarantine in a hospital in Mumbai. Similarly five nurses have been confirmed with Covid–19 in Delhi Cancer Institute. There are allegations that the nurses got infected because they were forced to work without proper safety kits.
“We are trying to get in touch with the chief ministers of Maharashtra and New Delhi respectively. A letter has been written to Prime Minister drawing his attention towards the problem,” Mr Vijayan said.,
According to United Nurses Association which represents a sizeable section of nursing staff in the country and abroad, the nurses were forced to treat Covid-19 patients without proper protective gear in the initial stages.
The Association has approached Supreme Court seeking to direct the Central government for putting in place National Covid-19 Management Protocol.
The association has also approached chief ministers of various states including Kerala, Maharashtra and Delhi seeking their intervention to ensure safety of nurses.
Apart from five nurses who tested positive for Covid–19, as many as 30 of their colleagues in Delhi Cancer Institute are currently under quarantine. The nurses alleged that they were made to work without proper safety kits while treating patients in the first phase and that led to the spread of infection.
Meanwhile, 13 new cases of Covid–19 were reported in Kerala on Monday taking the total number of cases in the state to 327.
The number of active cases under treatment are 266. Of the 13 reported cases on Monday, nine were from Kasargod including six who returned from abroad, two from Malappuram and one each from Kollam and Pathanamthitta districts respectively.
Three cases are of those who returned after attending the Tabligi conference in Nizamuddin.
With the state not recording signifcantly high number of cases in the last four days, health authorities claim that the effective measures taken on the ground have started showing results.
However, nothing can be said conclusively about arresting community spread at this stage, they added.
Kerala had reported nine cases on Friday, eight on Saturday, eleven on Sunday and 13 on Monday. As on Monday
1.52 lakh persons are under home quarantine,
795 persons in hospitals. So far 10,716 sample have been sent for testing of which 9607 have been found negative.
The Chief Minister said Kasargod medical college was converted into
Covid-10 hospital within four days with 200 beds and 10 ICU beds another
100 beds and 10 ICU bed will be added soon.
The chief minister said the state was prepared to meet any situation arising out of Covid–19.
As many as 1.15 lakh beds are available in the government and private hospitals. A three tier system has been put in place for Covid–19.
There are 10,183 isolation beds in hospitals besides 517 corona care centres have been established with 17, 477 isolation beds, 38 corona care hospitals are functioning in the state as of now.
Mr Vijayan said the Karnataka government has permitted patients from Kerala to get treatment in hospitals across the border. Nine persons had died in Kasargod district after Karnataka authorities denied permission to seek treatment in various hospitals in Mangalore.
Two private hospitals in Mumbai have been sealed after some of their medical staff, including doctors and nurses were tested positive.
In Pune, at least 92 staff members, including several doctors of the D.Y. Patil Hospital have been quarantined after an accident victim, who was being treated at the facility, tested positive.
(With inputs from Vrushali Purandare)