Budhrani lab staff who hid details of kin being virus +ve dies due to COVID

Reports of woman, father-in-law showed patches; she went to work with fever and did not tell mgmt

A 38-year-old woman employed as a laboratory technician at Inlaks and Budhrani Hospital succumbed to novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at the hospital on Wednesday. Adding to the hospital administration’s concerns, the deceased reportedly continued to come to work at the medical facility while being ill herself and without informing her employer that her father-in-law too was diagnosed to have the same infection. The woman, who resided in the virus hotspot of Ganesh Nagar in Yerawada, was asked to be under home quarantine. She, however, allegedly neglected the advice and continued to report to work despite having fever for past couple of days.

The woman had visited Naidu Infectious Diseases Hospital on May 15 with her father-in-law (71). Both of them were screened for various tests and their swab samples were taken. While both their X-ray reports showed patches in their lungs, her father-in-law was admitted immediately and she was asked to be in home quarantine. However, the woman did not inform Inlaks management about the developments and went to work the next day as well. It was only on May 16 that she started feeling breathless and eventually informed her employer about her situation and got admitted to the hospital for treatment. Meanwhile, her father-in-law’s samples tested positive for COVID-19 and he died on May 24 while undergoing treatment at Aundh District Hospital.

Dr Rhea Punjabi, medical director of Inlakhs and Budhrani Hospital, confirmed that the deceased’s father-in-law tested positive for the virus and meanwhile she continued to go to work and failed to let the hospital know about the health situation in her family. “The rest of the staff at the lab are worried as she continued to work with them. She had fever for two days and we never suspected her to have COVID-19. She complained of breathlessness all of a sudden,” Dr Punjabi added.

The woman was shifted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of the hospital on May 17 and later died there. According to the hospital, the reports of her samples tested positive for the virus and were received late on May 19. She died on Wednesday (May 27) due to COVID-19 with pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome. She had obesity-related complications as well.

“The hospital has made arrangements for Class IV staff and nurses working in COVID-19 ward, but those not working in the virus ward cannot be kept at the hospital. The hospital is already full, and we have made arrangements for over 80 beds for nurses and Class IV staff coming from hotspots,” Dr Punjabi further said.

“She has a 6-year-old son and a 12-year-old daughter. My brother (husband of the deceased) too had tested positive for the virus and was discharged on Wednesday and has been asked to be in home quarantine. This is a big blow to the family as COVID-19 has claimed the lives of two of our family members,” said the deceased’s brother-in-law.

Dr Ramchandra Hankare, health chief of PMC, assured to look into the issue. “People should follow the instructions that are given to them by the officials. If citizens do not follow the health directives, their negligence can land others in trouble and expose them to the virus. People with fever or other virus symptoms should take medical advice and try to be in isolation till they recover. We have suggested the hospital to make arrangements for their staff at the facility itself if they come from hotspots,” Dr Hankare claimed.