70 PG doctors test positive at RGGGH, lab technician dies

70 PG doctors test positive at RGGGH, lab technician dies

The 53-year-old technician, a known diabetic, was shifted out of lab duty on paper but continued to handle Covid samples, allege sources; GH becomes hot spot

Published: 13th June 2020 05:32 AM 

COVID-19 blood test sample.

By Sinduja Jane

Express News Service

CHENNAI: A day after the government made it mandatory for all people visiting Covid testing centres to quarantine themselves for 14 days, it’s evident that the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital -- one the primary centres in the State for Covid treatment -- continues to be a hotspot. In the last 24 hours, a total of 70 PG doctors at the Madras Medical College, attached to the hospital have tested positive.

Many of these doctors are now admitted to the ESI Hospital in Ayanavaram, where a separate block has been allotted to doctors who test positive. “On Thursday we received seven post graduate doctors from Madras Medical College and on Friday alone 50 doctors came. Condition of all doctors is stable,” said a senior doctor at the ESI Ayanavaram Hospital.

Meanwhile, RGGGH dean R Jayanthi attributed the detection of the cases to more testing, rather than talking about the source of infection. “Only at Madras Medical College we periodically screen our healthcare professionals. We have done more than 3,000 tests so far. I doubt if anywhere else they have done this numbers. It is in the best interest of the professionals. We are being honest and transparent about it,” she said.

It may be noted in the last week of April the men’s hostel of PG doctors at the Madras Medical College was shut down after a sweeper there tested positive. After that among 105 PG doctors screened two were found to be positive. Meanwhile, sources said, over 100 doctors including head of departments and PG doctors tested positive in the last one week. In another major development a 53 year old lab technician at the hospital contracted COVID-19 and died at the same hospital on Thursday. 

Dheenadayalan, the deceased was posted at a Covid sample processing biochemistry lab. “He was working at 24 toxicology lab before that,” sources said. “Recently, he had his leg amputated because of diabetes. Though officially he was placed on non-COVID-19 duty, he was made to continue in the positive sample processing lab only. He was posted at the reception,” said one of the hospital staffs. When asked about this Dean Jayanthi said,”Dheenadayalan was exempted from Covid work because of his health condition. He was on leave before he got admitted in serious condition.” Meanwhile duty schedule record of this month accessed by Express showed that Dheenadayalan was assigned for duty. “He was admitted to the hospital on 8 June. Tested positive on 9 June and died on Thursday,” a staff said.

Cases climb in Chennai

The city has recorded 1,479 cases on Friday, taking its tally to a massive 28,924. Chennai’s neighbouring districts also continued to record significant number of cases. Chengalpattu recorded 128 cases, Kancheepuram 26, and Tiruvallur 92 cases. Among the 18, one died without any co-morbidity. A 38 year old man from Chennai admitted at a private hospital with complaints of fever, cough for three days and difficulty in breathing for two days. He was admitted on 30 May and died on 11 June due to respiratory failure, septic shock with multi organ dysfunction syndrome. Among the deceased 15 were from Chennai, two persons from Chengalpattu and one from Tiruvallur.

Meanwhile, containment zones in the city have risen from just 200 a few weeks ago to 360. Of this, 73 are in Kodambakkam, 76 in Royapuram, and 54 in Tiru Vi Ka Nagar. Health Secretary Dr J Radhakrishnan said that strict measures are being imposed including herd masking, and urged people to follow the non-medical preventive measures such as washing hands. He also said that the 14-day home quarantine rule for those who are taking RT-PCR test was done with good intention.