Senior doctor of Shillong Civil Hospital tested positive for COVID 19

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaJuly 23, 2020

Commissioner & Secretary to the Government of Meghalaya Health & Family Welfare Department has informed a doctor, who is a senior Anaesthesiologist, at Civil Hospital, Shillong has been tested positive for Covid-19 on the 22^nd July 2020. The doctor had contracted this disease while attending a Covid-19 patient who was critically ill in the Covid Unit of the hospital and the said doctor developed symptoms a few days later after treating the critical patient (who later passed away at NEIGRIHMS).

While the movement of the doctor is only in a few limited areas of the hospital and he hardly had any contact with patients, it is hereby informed that all the high-risk contacts of this doctor are from the Covid Unit and follow a rigorous protocol where they are tested every 7 days and quarantined as per the State Government protocol.

As a matter of extra caution, the tests are also being done for all secondary contacts and other staff of the hospital. Samples have also been collected from them for the RT-PCR test. Reports of the Antigen Test of 330 samples of both high risk and low risk contacts have been declared negative. While the Antigen Test of the 16 high risk contacts is negative, they are being quarantined separately and their samples have already been taken for RT PCR test.

As per the State Health Department ‘s protocol , all low-risk contacts who have tested negative can continue their work and attend their duties.

As a precautionary measure, the following steps have been taken by the Government:

1. It is hereby advised that movement of hospital visitors at Civil Hospital is restricted for the next few days.

2. Sampling of returnees and other external contacts will not be conducted at Civil Hospital, Shillong on the 24^th July 2020, to facilitate sampling of remaining contacts of the doctor at the hospital.

3. OPD will be closed on the 24^th July 2020, but Emergency Services will remain open.

While there have been instances wherein healthcare workers are stigmatized during such incidents, the Government advises the public and solicits cooperation from all community members to be more empathetic towards the health workers and doctors who have been putting their lives at stake for the safety of our people.

In this regard, the Community Covid-19 Management Committees are hereby requested to ensure that there is no panic about this incident in their respective localities as healthcare workers have always been extra-careful about their behaviour in their workspaces as well as personal space.