Mumbai on high alert as 3 doctors, 26 health workers test coronavirus positive

The local authority is also likely to carry out all doctors and health workers antibody test to identify the vulnerable to COVID-19 positive pandemic.
Volunteers distribute face masks at Vashi in Mumbai. (Photo |PTI)
Volunteers distribute face masks at Vashi in Mumbai. (Photo |PTI)

MUMBAI: After the detection of 26 health workers and three doctors as COVID 19 positive at Wockhardt Hospital in Mumbai on Monday, the Brihnmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) sealed the hospital and decided to conduct the swab test all of 270 staffers working there.

The local authority is also likely to carry out all doctors and health workers antibody test to identify the vulnerable to COVID-19 positive pandemic.

Suresh Kakani, the additional municipal commissioner said that they have taken the swab test of all 270 health workers and doctors of the hospitals. “We will take further decisions once we get their reports. We have quarantined all hospital staffers and started checking of people who came in their immediate contact,” Kakani said.

He said that they have also started conducting antibody test of all medical fraternity who are working for COVID-19 hospitals. “This the test will help us to get the numbers of COVID-19 positive infected patients in medical fraternity in Mumbai. Those who test positive will be hospitalised while the negative cases will continue to work. But the precautions will be taken,” Kakani said.

Wockhardt Hospital has declared as the contaminated zone. In Mumbai, BMC had identified 211 contaminated zones. The civic authorities are sealing the area whenever a COVID-19 positive patient is detected these.

In Aurangabad, a few doctors and health workers at a government hospital are suspected to be COVID 19 positive. “These hospitals staffers handled the COVID 19 positive patients without any protections kits. They had no idea that they were treating positive cases. They initially handled them as normal patients and when the report of these patients came they were surprised. It was nothing but the casusal approach that costing them dear,” said a senior BMC official requesting anonymity.

A probe team has set out to investigate how the virus has broken out in a medical set up. The hospital will be shut temporarily, halting all entry and exit from the facility until the patients test negative, a civic official told Time of India.

As of April 5, in Maharashtra has 748 COVID-19 positive patients. Mumbai has recorded the highest with 433 coronavirus positive cases.

As per BMC data, more number of coronavirus positive patients were reported in the upscale areas of Malabar Hills, Peddar road, Worli and Dadar. The coronavirus positive cases are also increasing in the slum pockets like Dharavi, Kurla, Byculla, Andheri, Malad Malwani, Mulund, Ghatkopar etc.

There are 68 COVID-19 positive patients in Worli, Prabhadevi and Lower Parel area, while the minority-dominated Byculla area has 44 and Andheri 37 patients.

Related Stories

No stories found.
The New Indian Express
www.newindianexpress.com