SAMBALPUR: Patient care in Veer Surendra Sai Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (VIMSAR), Burla has gone for a toss after at least 20 doctors of the hospital tested positive for Covid-19. VIMSAR sources informed that the doctors who tested positive had not come in contact with any infected patients.
All the doctors developed mild symptoms during the same period. So far, 20 of them have tested positive and the number is likely to go up as more doctors are developing symptoms.
Director of VIMSAR Lalit Meher said the infected doctors are in isolation. When asked about the possibility of a shortage of doctors in the hospital due to the virus outbreak, he said healthcare delivery has not been affected so far and everything is under control. However, the situation might deteriorate if more doctors test positive, as the limited staff will be overburdened.
A doctor in VIMSAR said many paramedical staff are also infected with Covid. Sometimes more than one doctor is engaged in the treatment of a patient. Similarly, several paramedics are also engaged in some wards. Though Covid norms are being strictly followed and the staff taking all precautionary steps, the hospital may witness an acute shortage of doctors and paramedics if the infection spreads. Rigorous testing should be done among the staff to curb the spread of virus, he added.
Sources said while inflow of patients to the out-patient departments (OPDs) of the hospital has decreased remarkably in the last few days in view of the prevailing Covid situation, the authorities have instructed doctors to conduct emergency surgery only.
On usual days, the OPDs witness a footfall of around 2,500 patients. In the last few days, the number has gone down to around 1,500 patients. However, Meher attributed the decreasing footfall to the weather. The inflow of patients would increase once the weather improves. On Wednesday, Sambalpur reported 596 new Covid cases. Currently, there are 2,966 active cases in the district.