SHILLONG: The manner of handling the case of the pregnant woman who tested COVID positive and was admitted to NEIGRIHMS for “labour pains”, raises some intriguing questions.
In the first place, the surprise is that it has now been found to be having “false labour pains” since she is now in her 8th month of pregnancy.
Informed sources said on Thursday that before coming to the Institute the woman had visited other private hospitals but was refused admission after she narrated her travel history.
Since the woman and her husband had been under quarantine after her arrival in Shillong, the sources said that NEIGRIHMS should have been more circumspect about testing her and keeping her in the isolated wards instead of admitting her directly into the ICU following which she has come in contact with many doctors and nurses who are now under quarantine.
Sources claim that if such instances of negligence happen and patients are admitted without ascertaining their COVID status and if they later turn out to be positive after testing, then it may result in spread of infection among NEIGRIHMS doctors and nurses leading to collapse of certain departments.
At this point the COVID-positive pregnant woman cannot go on staying at NEIGRIHMS since she is due for delivery only after a month.
It is learnt that NEIGRIHMS will be taking a call on this case after consultations on Friday.
Patient alleges neglect
The pregnant woman, meanwhile, has lamented that two of her attendants had neither been provided with PPE nor other logistical support.
Speaking to The Shillong Times on Thursday, the patient claimed that the attendants were only provided with hand gloves.
“I don’t want to malign anybody,” she said, while revealing that she was debarred from using other bathrooms and was being forced to attend to nature’s call inside her room.
She informed that she had spoken to the hospital authorities about her grievances but was yet to get any positive response.
A relative of the patient alleged that the two attendants were asked by the Hospital authorities to clean the toilet used by the pregnant woman.
Moreover, the attendants were kept in the same room as the patient who has tested COVID-19 positive.
When contacted, Hospital authorities said that tests were conducted on the attendants and both of them are negative.
When informed that her case has been taken up with the state government, an official of the institute said, “In these tough times, the institute is doing whatever best is possible.”
