Kolkata: Private hospitals throughout the city, who have seen a number of doctors, nurses, and their health workers testing positive Covid for the past five days, sighing relief and welcoming the current isolation norms that are now possible to be infected out of quarantine in seven days.
Some hundred of their doctors and nurses, who are now in isolation, will return to work next week, allowing hospitals to maintain their work schedule and continue to serve covid patients.
About 150 Health Officers RN Tagore International Institute of Cardiac Sciences (RTIICS) is now in isolation.
They included around 25 doctors.
Guidelines will help in providing smooth and sustainable care to patients, said Zonal Head R Venkatesh.
“Even if we can get half of the infected health workers back to the past, it will be very helpful to serve patients well.
According to the timeline, we hope 50% of them join next Monday.
Some of them have expressed their inability To join in seven days because they are still somewhat fever and have weaknesses, “Venkatesh said.
Thirty-five health workers, including several doctors, has been tested positive at Peerless Hospital and is now in quarantine.
“The restricted period of isolation will help us get it back next week.
Because they are all tested positive earlier this week, they must return in the middle of next week.
On the other hand, many more can be infected for the next few days.
But shorter insulation will prevent a large depletion in the workforce, “said CEO Nearless Sudipta Mitra.
On Thursday, a doctor at Medica Superspecialty Hospital, where 60-70 health workers were affected, returned to work after seven day isolation.
“We have around 14 doctors in isolation now and they have to go back next week.
This will help keep our services not affected,” said Chairman Alok Roy.
The government hospital will also benefit from new guidelines or services they will collapse, said Institute of Post-Postgraduate Medical Education & Research (IPGMER) Professor Diplipendra Sarkar.
“About 15 doctors in the SSKM surgical department are now in isolation.
This will allow them to return to work next week.
Without them, the surgical department will face the shutdown,” said Sarkar, himself in isolation now.
With a doctor who tested positive for Covid at alarming frequency, some private hospitals in the city have suggested their medical officers to serve in Covid units with all precautions even if they have a virus but remain asymptomatic.
While the ‘suggestion’ has been strictly given at an unofficial level and the doctor has been asked to use their wisdom, the hospital said their covid units would soon collapse if those in charge had to isolate themselves in testing.
A senior medical, who was at the forefront of Covid treatment at South Kolkata’s private hospital, has refused to be tested even after he developed mild symptoms earlier this week.
He has used PPE and continues to work in the Covid unit.
“My symptoms are light and I am still fit enough to work.
I tend to be positive if I was tested but if I did it, I had to isolate myself.
It will land all my covid patients in trouble because some of my colleagues are already isolated after positive testing,” said the doctor .
However, some hospitals showed that while the isolation period of the house had diminished to seven days, it would not help those who were hospitalized.
“Even if they recover in two-three days, their isolation period will start from the day of disposal and therefore they will serve longer quarantine,” said General Manager (operation) of the Ruby Datta Subhashish Datta General Hospital.
Twenty-five health workers, including five Ruby doctors, are now in isolation.