11 Indonesians among 16 quarantined in Salem GH

TNN | Mar 24, 2020, 04.10 AM IST

Salem: A total of 16 people, including 11 Indonesian nationals, were quarantined in the Salem Government Mohan Kumaramangalam Medical College and Hospital (SGMKMCH) on Sunday night.

Salem Municipal Corporation (SMC) health department officials, who came to know that a team of 11 Indonesians had visited mosques in the city and participated in religious meetings, went to a mosque in the Sanyasikundu area near Kitchipalayam on Sunday night and made inquiries.

“We found that they had participated in religious meetings in three mosques in the Shevapet, Ponnammapet and Erumapalayam areas in the city,” S A Raman, Salem collector said. He said five people from Salem city had assisted them to reach these mosques. They had been staying in Salem since March 11.

The health department officials quarantined all the 16 people in the special ward in SGMKMCH on the same night.

Dean of the hospital Dr Balajinathan told TOI that they have collected blood samples from the 16 people. “We suspect the four Indonesians have Covid-19 symptoms and have sent their blood samples to the National Institute of Virology (NIV) for confirmation,” he said, adding that the results would be out in a couple of days.

The collector said fumigation was carried out in the mosques which the Indonesians visited. “We also started searching for the people who had attended those meetings and they will be quarantined at their houses at the earliest,” he added.

The collector said so far 247 people had returned to Salem from abroad since January 28, this year. “All of them were in home quarantine for nearly 14 days,” he said, adding that they were doing good.

Raman appealed to the public to inform the authorities if anybody who has come from abroad has left home quarantine. He asked them to contact 0427-2450022 and 2450023 if they come across someone who has come from abroad. “People also could reach the district administration on 1077 - the toll-free number round the clock.” He said strict action will be initiated if anyone hides one’s foreign tour details.

The collector asked SGMKMCH doctors to keep the quarantine ward ready to take up corona virus affected patients at any time. The hospital at present has a 9-bed special ward for patients along with 21 beds in the quarantine ward. A team of doctors and nurses will be in these wards round the clock. Sanitisers, one-time use pillow covers, bedsheets and other materials are also kept ready. “The government hospitals in Mettur, Attur and Omalur have five beds each to treat Covid-19 patients,” he said. Six private hospitals too have been chosen to treat Covid-19 positive patients.