The doctors and other health staff at the gynaecology department of RIMS have been told to rejoin duty on Thursday in an order that department members say violates the quarantine protocol.
However, RIMS director Dr Vivek Kashyap maintained that no norm had been flouted.
The department was shut as a precaution after the RIMS administration came to know that two women from Hindpiri who had delivered babies on April 21 and April 22 at the hospital had tested positive for the novel coronavirus. Doctors and other health staff who directly or indirectly came in contact with these two women are in quarantine.
On Tuesday, RIMS superintendent Dr Kashyap wrote to the gynaecology head, ordering Covid-19 tests for doctors and other health staff of the department. The Telegraph has a copy of the letter. The letter also instructed that once their swab is taken for the test the doctors and staff must immediately join duty. It warned that if the order was not followed then higher officials of the government will be informed.
The swabs were taken on Tuesday evening, and the results are expected by Thursday.
The RIMS superintendent Wednesday wrote another letter — a copy of which is with The Telegraph — saying the gynaecology department will have to rejoin duty from 7am on Thursday.
The administration pointed out that the ward had been sanitised multiple times since the detection of the two positive cases.
The 13 senior resident doctors, 30 junior resident doctors and around 30 other health staff are worried over the order, said a department member.
“As per the Covid-19 guidelines, if a person has come in contact with any positive case he or she will have to undergo 14 days of quarantine. But RIMS administration thinks that owing to lack of manpower the quarantine period for RIMS staff should be reduced to seven days. There are instances when the first test comes negative but in the subsequent test the person is found positive. Now in almost all cases patients are asymptomatic,” said the gynaecology department doctor, requesting anonymity for obvious reasons.
Another staff member echoed the worry.
“We can’t count how many patients we have treated after the outbreak of coronavirus. We don’t have enough PPE (personal protective equipment) kits. I don’t know what is the logic behind asking doctors and nurses to resume duty despite the obvious threat. As per the rule any contact of a Covid-19 positive patient has to stay in quarantine for 14 days,” said the staff member.
The health department has show-caused the management of a private hospital for doing what RIMS is doing to the gynaecology department of RIMS.
On April 18, a person from Bariatu suffering from brain haemorrhage had tested positive for the novel coronavirus. The health department through Ranchi police has slapped a notice on the administration of Maa Ram Pyari Super Speciality Hospital, one of the two private hospitals the person from Bariatu had been treated. In the letter it has been mentioned that the hospital staff who had treated the patient had tested negative for Covid-19.
“But as per the guideline even if a person found negative he will have to stay 14 days in quarantine. We have come to know that your hospital is not following quarantine protocol,” said the show-cause letter, which has been accessed by The Telegraph.
Contacted, RIMS superintendent Dr Kashyap said that the results of swab tests of all doctors and staff were expected by Wednesday night.
“We hope their test result will be negative. In case anyone is found positive they will be put in quarantine. As per the guidelines if doctors and health staff are exposed to contamination they will be kept in quarantine for seven days. They have already undergone seven days of quarantine,' RIMS superintendent said.
Outgoing RIMS director Dr D.K. Singh said: “This matter was brought to the notice of the health department. I had anticipated that such a problem may arise, hence I had advised rotational duty. Doctors and health staff should be divided into groups. One group will work for five days after which that group will be placed in quarantine. But I am not in a position to comment about the current order.”