82 people including doctors, nurses, hospital staff and patients at Mumbai's Hinduja Hospital have been quarantined as part of precautionary measures. The quarantined individuals are suspected to have come in contact with a patient who tested positive for COVID-19 on March 12. The patient who was first admitted at the hospital was later transferred to the city's isolation centre, Kasturba Hospital.
The Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) has released a statement announcing that 74 of these people who showed low risk symptoms have been quarantined at home for 14 days while the 8 people who showed high risk symptoms have been isolated at the Hinduja and their swabs have been sent for further testing.
A WhatsApp message has been circulating stating that the hospital has shut down its functions. BOOM received this multiple times on its helpline.
WhatsApp message stating Hinduja orders shutdown
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But the hospital has denied shutting down its operations. BOOM contacted Hinduja hospital who have clarified that there is no need for any panic as emergency measures have already been taken. The statement from PD Hinduja Hospital and Research Centre can be read below.
Statement from PD Hinduja Hospital and Research Centre.
"Inspite of the best precautions and guidelines, last night one of our patients admitted in the hospital tested positive for COVID-19 and the hospital immediately got in touch with the concerned government authorities (MCGM) where all protocols were activated. As per government guidelines for treatment of all Coronavirus cases in the city, the patient has been shifted to Kasturba Hospital.
The hospital operations including OPD and IPD are functioning after following the necessary protocols. The hospital has taken several preventive measures like asking patients to self -declare foreign travel before admission, triage and screening patients at entrance , allowing only one relative per patient to prevent overcrowding, which have been in practice for the past several days. All the medical and non-medical staff who came in direct or indirect contact with patient have been screened and a few have been quarantined at home, as per government guidelines. Post the screening, hospital staff has been tested as negative for COVID-19.
All necessary precautions for the personal safety of our staff and patients, which is of utmost importance to us, have been initiated and activated, and we will leave no stone unturned in ensuring that."
The hospital also stated that they are actively prepared for COVID-19 and that the security and safety of their patients is of utmost concern to them. They have also asked their patients to not believe any rumours floating on social media without confirming its veracity with the hospital.
Mumbai has 4 confirmed patients isolated at Kasturba Hospital. The state government has already ordered the shutting down of gymnasiums, swimming pools, cinema halls and theatres, effective from March 14 midnight in Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Thane, Pune, Pimpri Chinchwad and Nagpur. They have already shut down schools in Pimpri Chinchwad and Pune till March 31st.
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