2 private hospitals in Mumbai sealed after staff test positive

Three doctors and 26 nurses tested positive for novel Coronavirus in Wockhardt Hospital in Mumbai Central and the facility has been sealed off to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Mumbai: Two private hospitals in Mumbai have been sealed after some of their medical staff, including doctors and nurses, tested positive for the novel Coronavirus.

"Three doctors and 26 nurses tested positive for novel Coronavirus in Wockhardt Hospital in Mumbai Central and the facility has been sealed off to prevent the spread of infection," BMC health officials said on Monday.

"No one is allowed to enter or exit the private hospital," a civic official said.

The hospital has several employees from Kerala, prompting Congress leader from the southern state, Ramesh Chennithala, to tweet, "Called Maharashtra health minister Shri. Rajesh Tope ji @rajeshtope11 seeking urgent intervention to ensure safety of 40 Covid19 positive Malayalee nurses working @ a pvt hospital in Mumbai."

New admissions were stopped and Outpatient Department (OPD) was closed at the Jaslok Hospital in Mumbai on Wednesday after at least one of its staff tested positive for Coronavirus.

A nurse working at the private hospital had alleged in a video message that was circulating on social media that more than one staff member had contracted Coronavirus, but the hospital said that only one person had tested positive.

"Following the allegations by the nurse, a meeting was called at the Brihhanmumbai Municipal Corporation office, which was attended by top officials of the hospital," BMC sources said.

As per the nurse who is seen speaking in the video, the hospital management did not inform the staff about admission of a COVID-19 patient.

When contacted, Jaslok Hospital admitted that a nurse who came in contact with a COVID-19 patient did test positive.

The staff members handling COVID-19 patients are given protective gears like face masks, gloves, eye protection, Personal Protection Equipment for contact droplet and airborne transmission of pathogens, long-sleeved water resistant gown to ensure precaution.

"All the medical staff who came in direct or indirect contact of the affected nurse and the connected patient have been identified and quarantined as per the protocol," it said.

"As a precautionary measure, the hospital has suspended its OPD services and no new admissions are being taken for a few days," it said.

(PTI REPORT)