KGMU VC, 40 doctors, 6 staffers test positive for Covid-19
Lucknow: In an unfortunate instance, forty doctors of Lucknow's King George's Medical University (KGMU), including Vice-Chancellor Lt Gen (retd) Vipin Puri, and six staffers have tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
This is the second time since last August that the Vice-Chancellor has been infected by the virus.
He was administered the second dose of the vaccine on March 25.
Sandeep Tewari of KGMU told IANS, "During the last four days, around 40 doctors, including medical superintendent Himanshu, have tested positive."
Most of the doctors have tested positive despite taking both doses of vaccine.
The infected doctors include 20 from the general surgery department, nine from the urology department and three from the department of medicine.
Days after the VC tested positive for the virus, a total of six staffers working in the KGMU office also tested positive for Covid-19 on Wednesday despite having received both shots of the vaccine, a senior doctor told PTI.
"All of them are on non-medical posts," the doctor added. Besides, "Medical Superintendent, Prof D Himanshu too tested positive for Covid-19 a day earlier," the doctor further stated on Tuesday.
Tests of several other faculty members are being conducted after they complained of influenza-like symptoms on Tuesday and their reports will be available later.
Screening of entire staff in several departments will also be done on Wednesday.
The heads of the Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Medanta hospital and Era Medical college have already tested positive for Covid even after getting vaccinated.
Senior BJP leader Jagdambika Pal also tested positive after he complaint of fever.
Meanwhile, seven new fatalities were reported in the state during last 24 hours, taking the death toll to 1,248.
The new deaths include Professor Brajesh Shukla of the Lucknow University, a recipient of the Padma Shri award, and chief pharmacist of police lines, R.K. Chaudhary.
Lucknow, which has emerged as a Covid hotspot in Uttar Pradesh, reported 1,188 new Covid cases in the past 24 hours.
Presently, there are 4,560 coronavirus patients under home isolation.
