COVID: Services in emergency wards, three OPDs at Hindu Rao resumes

Services in emergency wards, including flu clinic, and three OPDs at the civic-run Hindu Rao Hospital were resumed from Monday, days after the facility was closed down after a nurse there had tested positive for COVID-19, authorities said. The largest municipal hospital run by the North Delhi Municipal Corporation was closed down on Saturday.

Sources said, the authorities will be examining the inquiry report in the wake of allegation by her coworkers that the nurse continued on her job despite complaining of having symptoms. NDMC Commissioner Varsha Joshi said, complete sanitisation at the hospital premises was done on Sunday.

Patients were seen in the emergency wards and the three OPDs, with 21 of those being seen in out-patient departments, and 12 in emergency department. Eleven were seen in medical OPD, one in pediatric one and six in gynecology OPD, while three in anti-rabies clinic, totalling 21, officials said.

In emergency department, four were of surgical nature, two medical emergency, one related to ENT and five patients came to labour room, totalling 12.

"Contact tracing of 52 healthcare workers who have been in contact with the staff nurse has been completed. Incase of seven people who came in contact, the collection of samples has already been done, and they are currently in institutional quarantine.

"Rest are in home isolation or quarantine and their sample collection will start tomorrow," Joshi had said on Sunday.

On the dengue breeding checking staff case, she said one DBC staff and 10 others have tested negative. Four reports are still awaited, the official said. One set of transfer of official in the health department of the NDMC was planned last week to send more doctors to field instead of sitting in headquarters, and order issued on Monday, officials said.

One assistant commissioner has been sent to labour department to assist that department in monitoring medical issues of staff, they said. Asked about the allegation by some of her coworkers that the nurse, who tested positive, had continued to work despite showing symptoms, Joshi on Sunday said, "We have asked for a full report".

She had on Saturday said, "There appears to be definite negligence at some level here,", adding, "we will have a thorough inquiry into this aspect". The commissioner said Hindu Rao Hospital has 50 isolation beds earmarked for use when the Delhi government sends any coronavirus patient.