More healthcare providers test positive for COVID-19 in Chennai

Doctors, nurses and paramedical staff among the worst-hit, say officials

More frontline workers, especially healthcare providers, are testing positive for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Chennai.

Health officials said frontline workers accounted for 10 to 15% of the total COVID-19 positive cases in the State. One of the worst-hit among frontline workers are doctors, staff nurses and other paramedical staff such as laboratory technicians.

If it was post graduate students of Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (RGGGH) earlier, it is now senior doctors of Government Stanley Medical College Hospital who have tested positive for COVID-19. In fact, a few staff of affiliated institutions including maternity hospitals have also tested positive for COVID-19.

It should be recalled that several workers of Greater Chennai Corporation, including conservancy workers, had tested positive for COVID-19.

At the Government Stanley Medical College Hospital, 15 doctors, including chiefs of departments, and a staff nurse are currently under admission for COVID-19. Doctors of RGGGH confirmed that at least three doctors, four staff nurses and a lab technician of RGGGH and its affiliated institution - Institute of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Hospital for Women and Children, Egmore - had tested positive and were undergoing treatment.

“This included a senior staff nurse who was on supervision work at RGGGH. She has uncontrolled blood sugar and hypertension,” said a doctor.

Doctors pointed out that the senior doctors of Stanley Hospital were not directly dealing with COVID-19 patients but were on administrative work and took part in meetings. Some of them had high grade fever for two to three days. “The hospital is in a containment zone. It is surrounded by zones that are hotspots from where it receives patients and their attendants. Professors who were not on COVID-19 duty have tested positive. A few staff of the radiology department have also tested positive due to a patient. This is not a problem that can be solved by disinfecting the hospital. There is a need to restrict unnecessary movement of people into the hospital,” a doctor said.

K. Senthil, State president of Tamil Nadu Government Doctors Association, said according to their figures, nearly 35 doctors involved in supervisory and COVID-19 management had tested positive for COVID-19 so far across the State. “This is a high risk job. Still, several deans of government medical college hospitals hold unnecessary meetings. All non-essential meetings can be avoided. If essential, these meetings should be short, and only those doctors who need to attend should be called,” he said.

K. Valarmathi, general secretary, Tamil Nadu Government Nurses Association, said it was in Chennai that several staff nurses and nursing superintendents were affected.

“The number of staff nurses who have tested positive is less in southern Tamil Nadu. With the outbreak in Chennai, several staff nurses and nursing superintendents of RGGGH, Stanley Hospital, Government Kilpauk Medical College Hospital and Government Medical College Hospital, Omandurar Estate have tested positive. We are not involving nurses aged above 50 years, with co-morbid conditions, pregnant or lactating nurses on COVID-19 duty. But as the case load increases, some of them are engaged in duty. Nurses come in close contact with patients. Though precautionary measures are taken, many are infected,” she said.