A hostel of resident doctors attached to the King Edward Memorial (KEM) Hospital has been declared a containment zone after two residents tested positive for coronavirus. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation sealed the Anand Niketan hostel on Thursday and have quarantined the patients' close contacts and sent their samples for testing.
The two resident doctors who tested positive were posted at Kasturba and KEM Hospitals. The hostel, which housed more than 50 doctors, has now been evacuated and sealed. “Since the doctors tested positive, we have collected samples of 10 who were in close contact with them and are also checking if they had come in contact with others in the course of their work,” said a resident doctor.
The resident doctors have urged KEM hospital administration and BMC not to seal the hostel, threatening to strike should this happen.
According to a health expert, resident doctors are the backbone of the BMC hospitals and at this crucial time, they have been the frontline warriors in handling COVID patients. Keeping so many doctors in hostels together can lead to the spread of infection. “The hospital administration should look for alternatives before taking any step. They should consider making arrangements for resident doctors so that social distancing can be maintained and they do not get infected,” he said.
Dr Hemant Deshmukh, dean, KEM hospital, said “As per the containment rule, the doctors will have to stay there for 14 days and in the meanwhile, we will make some arrangements, so that doctors do not have problems.”
So far, more than 100 healthcare workers have been affected and are being treated at the hospitals where they were working. “Doctors infected so far should be treated at one place, instead of admitting them to different hospitals, with other patients,” said another expert.
