SHILLONG: Of the 1000-plus Covid cases reported in the state during last four months, only about 50 health workers account of them. By all reckonings, this is not too alarming a situation.
But then it tends to get a twist when considered that these infected health workers belong to hospitals that are not designated as Covid hospitals.
Quite a number of COVID-19 cases among health workers have been reported in institutes like NEIGRIHMS, Shillong Civil Hospital and RP Chest Hospital.
In a pandemic like COVID-19, it is the Hospitals where everyone looks up to for treatment be it COVID-19 or myriad normal diseases. But however, recently there have been several active cases which have been reported from different Hospitals in and around Shillong. There was no clarity as to why these health workers of non-Covid hospitals were reporting active cases. Are they getting infected from the patients they handle? Or is there any compromise on health protocols and maintaining sanitised conditions in the hospitals? Or is there laxity on the part of the quarantine health workers who are reported to be freely mingling with the public in some areas? The answers are not easy to come.
DHS (MI) Dr Aman War said that all the Hospitals have been taking all the precautions.
He however added that the department would have to investigate as to from where the infections were emanating.
He informed that the people who were admitted to RP Chest Hospital were not severe, he said that the department would have to find out whether the source is from the Hospital or among the health workers.
“ In a weeks time, we can give more information,” he said. When asked about the health workers who are under quarantine but come out in public in some localities, the DHS said that he had received some reports in this regard.
The health department has directed all Hospitals to put one officer to look after the places where staffs are doing quarantine and ensure that staffs follow all protocols and don’t come out and mingle with the public.
