With several medical staff, including doctors and nurses, testing positive for COVID-19 at Government Rajaji Hospital (GRH) since Friday, the administration is now analysing the reasons behind the sudden surge.
Few postgraduate doctors and a senior official from the GRH say that around 10 doctors and 15 nurses have tested positive in the last two days, particularly those who have been performing triage duty. “In the last five months, only around six doctors and nurses who performed COVID-19 duty tested positive. The surge over the last two days is a cause of concern for the rest of us,” the source says.
Despite issuing specific passes and having police personnel and security at the hospital, there are a number of caretakers of patients or attenders who end up staying with patients. They could be one of the causes of the spread, the sources said.
“For sick patients, at least three attenders end up staying. Many of them fight with the doctors and nurses about the food and argue. This close contact could be one of the reasons why there have been a high number of cases. We are concerned about the number of caretakers being allowed inside as we could very well be the next to test positive,” a doctor adds.
Treatment Coordinator of the COVID-19 specialty ward of the GRH, K. Senthil, says that the high number of positives is a point of worry and is being analysed. “We are figuring out what went wrong. We understand that there is a need for more security to ensure that only those who are permitted are allowed inside,” he says. He adds that there is also more need for nursing staff and sanitation workers as well.
Dean, GRH, J. Sangumani, says that they have been insisting on better donning and doffing techniques to be followed while using personal protection equipment (PPE). He adds that the number of staff testing positive are not as high as 20.
“Doffing is a crucial step that must be done carefully. Caretakers are carefully monitored and only then allowed to set foot in the COVID-19 ward,” he says. Though the issue regarding the entry of attenders may have persisted before, it is no longer a point of concern as police officials and security personnel are manning the hospital, he says.
It is learnt that the hospital has increased the number of doffing rooms from two to three to prevent overcrowding and is disinfecting the premises at least four times a day.
