SHILLONG: NEIGRIHMS Director Dr P Bhattacharya has downplayed fears of infection among the staff of the institute who were exposed to the COVID-19 woman patient.
The woman gave birth to a healthy baby boy at the hospital on Friday.
Speaking to media persons here on Saturday, Bhattacharya said the fears were “unreasonable.”
He said that as per the protocols of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, if someone has tested negative and has been under quarantine without any signs and symptoms of the novel coronavirus, the person cannot be expected to be COVID-positive.
He also said that the institute had tested the patient but she showed no symptoms.
As per the protocols of the World Health Organisation, if a patient is positive but does not show signs and symptoms of the disease, he or she is not expected to infect others.
“ Spread of infection is very rare if a patient does not have signs and symptoms and these are not our guidelines but of WHO”, Bhattacharya said
Stating that the institute has limited testing kits and has to use these efficiently, he added that there is a clear-cut directive from the ministry that testing should not be done “uselessly”.
As per the ministry, if a person has tested negative and is under
quarantine without any symptoms, he or she should be kept under observation.
Bhattacharya also rued the absence of hotline between the hospital and the state government.
He said that the husband of the patient had tested positive in another hospital with the results coming only after 7-8 hours, and all the while NEIGRIHMS was in the dark.
According to him, the institute has more than 1000 employees and it is not feasible to send all of them for quarantine, adding that those who were in proximity to the patient would be sent for quarantine if they developed any symptoms and necessary testing would be done.
Govt directive
Meanwhile, Health and Family Welfare Minister AL Hek has asked NEIGRIHMS as well as the department to ensure that people free of the disease are not allowed as attendants of those afflicted.
“ I have directed the authorities of NEIGRIHMS to ensure that non-COVID people are not allowed as attendants,” Hek said. The attendants of the woman, who had initially tested negative, have now been sent for quarantine.
Meanwhile, following the intervention of Hek, her husband, who was in Shillong Civil Hospital, was also shifted to NEIGRIHMS.
