A junior resident of Aligarh Muslim University’s Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College and Hospital tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday night, district officials said.
“The doctor is a paediatric surgeon and performed surgery on April 20. After she felt feverish, her sample was taken and it was found positive on Wednesday,” said Shafey Kidwai, spokesperson of AMU.
He clarified that the doctor was a non-resident and didn’t come in contact of the COVID-19 infected person who passed away in the hospital on April 21.
“She was not posted in the isolation ward or fever clinic. The doctor has been admitted to the COVID-19 ward. The five patients of the paediatric ward have been shifted to the isolation ward and their samples have been sent for testing. Twenty persons who have come in her contact, including fellow doctors and paramedical and nursing staff, have been sent to home quarantine and are being screened,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Resident Doctors’ Association of JNMC has demanded that the hospital be converted into a dedicated COVID-19 hospital. “The doctor who has tested positive had extensive contacts with healthcare professionals throughout JNMC. So, all the patients should be discharged and no further non-COVID treatment should be entertained,” said Mohd. Hamza Malik, president of RDA in a press statement. He said healthcare workers will work only with designated personal protective equipment (PPE).
“If proper actions are not taken, residents will not be able to perform their duties,” he said.
Sources in the university administration said changing the nature of hospital would affect the common man adversely as it is a level 3 hospital and one of the few referral hospitals in western Uttar Pradesh. “It is not time to politicise the issue. We should show unity in fighting the virus. Only one COVID -19 infected person is admitted to the hospital. PPEs are in short supply everywhere. We are doing our best. Masks are being distributed to healthcare professionals,” said a source, requesting anonymity.
Six active cases
Late on Thursday evening, one more person, related to the deceased COVID-19 infected person, tested positive, taking the tally of active cases in Aligarh to six. The suspended doctor and his wife, in whose hospital the deceased person was allegedly treated before being shifted to the JNMC, have tested negative.
In a related development, District Magistrate Chandra Bhushan Singh has directed the district information officer to initiate action against a prominent private satellite channel for misreporting the number of infected doctors in AMU’s JNMC.
