65 KGMU staff quarantined after patient tests corona +ive

LUCKNOW : Sixty-five staff members of the King George’s Medical University (KGMU) were quarantined after a patient who was attended to by them tested positive for coronavirus on Monday.

The patient, a 55-year-old resident of Naya Gaon in Qaiserbagh area, had come to the KGMU on Saturday evening. He visited many areas on the campus and was brought to the triage area. Later, he was shifted to the isolation facility and had to be put on ventilator. But in this process, he came in contact with many staff members who were not protected well against infection.

He was the first Covid-19 patient in UP who had to be provided ventilator support, said

health staff. “As many as 65 staff members who came in contact with him have been sent to quarantine facility as a precaution,” said Dr Sudhir Singh, spokesperson,

KGMU.These included 42 casualty and 13 medicine department staff members.

As per reports, the 55-year-old patient was breathless and wanted immediate medical care. He reached the casualty ward around 5pm on Saturday and went straight to the doctors, without any screening.

Two doctors were in PPE kits, but the other staff members were not wearing protective gear. Doctors at the casualty referred him to the medicine department and resident doctors came to examine him.When doctors realised that he was breathless and had diabetes too, they decided to test his sample for coronavirus. As per ICMR guidelines, those suffering with SARI (severe acute respiratory illness) such as respiratory distress and fever are required to be tested for coronavirus.

The patient was shifted to the triage for patients who are suspected of having infection, said a

senior faculty member. By then, many medical staff had come in contact with the patient. His test report came nearly 10 hours later and it was decided to shift the patient to the isolation facility.

After doctors came to know that the man tested positive, they made a list of staff members who came in contact with the patient. These included doctors, ward boys, resident doctors, sweepers, staff members at the counters.

Meanwhile, the health department started tracing the contacts of the man who tested positive. His family and all those who came in his contact were being traced and the 100-metre area around his house had been sealed to screen all those living there. The man had gone to other hospitals on April 1 and April 9 for treatment, but when his problem aggravated, he went to the KGMU, said officials.

HE ENTERED CASUALTY WARD SANS SCREENING

The medical team allowed the man to enter the casualty ward without mandatory screening. After entry, he compelled the team to examine him. Had he first gone to the triage area, he could have been treated adequately, said officials.