Mumbai private hospital sealed as 3 doctors, 26 nurses test coronavirus positive
The facility has been sealed off to prevent the spread of infectionNo one is allowed to enter or exit the private hospital
The BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has declared the Wockhardt Hospital near Mumbai Central a containment zone after at least 29 staff including 3 doctors and 26 nurses were found Covid-19 positive last week, officials said.
The infections reportedly happened after two Covid-19 patients and two suspected cases were shifted here from the Kasturba Hospital a fortnight ago.
While the two patients were kept in the isolation ward, the two suspect cases were kept with other patients in the ICU from where the infection may have spread.
The hospital has several employees from Kerala, leading to a senior Congress leader from the southern state, Ramesh Chennithala, to tweet, "Called Maharashtra health minister Shri. Rajesh Tope ji @rajeshtope11 seeking urgent intervention to ensure safety of 40 Covid19 positive Malayalee nurses working @ a pvt hospital in Mumbai."
Chennithala is leader of opposition in the Kerala Assembly.
Last week, two nurses serving in the ICU tested positive, and then the infections spread quickly, affecting nearly 29 including the doctors.
The BMC has taken the swabs of another 270 staffers and patients at the hospital for testing, and pending the outcome, the hospital has been declared a containment zone.
Since such a large number of cases have come from a single location, the BMC has ordered a probe to ascertain if coronavirus protocols were adhered to or not while dealing with the two patients and two suspects admitted there last month.
Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed – it's all here, just a click away! Login Now!
This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text.