Lucknow: 65 KGMU staff including 13 resident doctors quarantined after patient tests positive

Lucknow:  In a major development, at least 65 staffers, including 13 resident doctors, of the King George's Medical University (KGMU) trauma centre were sent on institutional quarantine after a 64-year-old patient they were treating was tested positive for Corona virus.

The patient, who was admitted to the hospital on Saturday, has been shifted to the coronavirus ward and kept on a ventilator. He is the fifth coronavirus patient in KGMU. The casualty and medicine wards have been sanitized.

The KGMU is the biggest hub for corona testing and treatment in the state.

The Lucknow Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Narendra Agarwal has issued letters to Medwell Hospital and Charak Diagnostic Centre, ordering that they be shut immediately as the patient had visited them.

Medwell and Charak have been asked to provide a full list of their staff, and a separate list of doctors and paramedics that attended the patient.

A statement issued by the KGMU administration, said "Around 5 p.m. on Saturday, the patient, who is diabetic and has breathing problems, came to the KGMU trauma centre in a critical condition. As his condition was serious, he was taken to the emergency ward where he was attended by doctors. After primary treatment, he was transferred to the triage area of the neurology department. After the confirmation of corona infection, he has been sent to the isolation ward. As a precaution, 65 doctors and other staffers of the trauma centre have been quarantined in the hospital. At present, the patient is on a ventilator. Of the 65 staffers, 52 are nurses, paramedics and others."

KGMU spokesperson Sudhir Singh said of the total staffers, 25 would be kept in active quarantine, which meant they could keep working by limiting their movement and without coming in contact with others. The rest are not allowed to work.

"We are to decide as how we are going to proceed with testing these 65 people. As of now, we will take samples of those who show symptoms. Experts say that it takes more than a week for the virus to show its effect," said Singh.

Meanwhile, Medwell Hospital and Charak Diagnostics Centre have been instructed to send their staffers to mandatory home quarantine for 14 days at least.

The letter by the Lucknow CMO to Charak Diagnostic Centre says, "As per KGMU Lucknow report, a 65-year-old patient was declared positive for coronavirus on Monday. The patient came to your pathology/diagnostic centre for an X-ray on Saturday. In accordance with the orders by the central and the state government for prevention and containment of coronavirus, you are ordered to close the centre with immediate effect. All the staff of the centre be kept in home quarantine for 14 days. Also, provide a list of all the doctors and paramedical staff so that they can be tested."

A similar order has been given to Medwell Hospital where the patient was treated before coming to KGMU.

Earlier on March 17, a junior resident doctor, who was part of the infection control team at KGMU Lucknow, had tested positive. Later, 14 members of his team were put in quarantine and three of them were found to be infected. Of the three patients, two are still under treatment.