NAGPUR: District collector Ravindra Thakare submitted a fresh affidavit before the Nagpur bench of Bombay high court removing the name of Shalinitai Meghe Hospital and Research Centre, Hingna, from the list of institutions not following microbiological surveillance norms in Covid-19 wards and ICUs in their facilities.
Based on a report prepared by the district task force committee led by Dr Prashant Nikhade, the collector had submitted before the court on June 15 that two private medical colleges were allegedly not complying with infection control norms.
As per the ‘key findings’ of the survey by the committee, surveillance was done at GMCH, IGGMCH and AIIMS Nagpur, but allegedly not at Lata Mangeshkar Hospital and Shalinitai Meghe Hospital and Research Centre, both in Hingna.
Among the 119 hospitals surveyed under Nagpur Municipal Corporation jurisdiction, surveillance norms were followed in 88, the survey had revealed.
On June 2, the high court had ordered the task force to expand the scope of all fungal infections and assess the situation in hospitals and submit a report within two weeks.
The HC intervention had come after cases of black fungus or mucormycosis began to spiral.
Many Covid-recovered patients had lost their eyes or debridement in facial bones because of post-Covid complication.
Black fungus is considered hospital-acquired infection, especially where standard operating procedures are not followed.
The task force had also recommended 12-point SOPs to meet the infection control norms.
As per the fresh affidavit, the district task force had on June 22 submitted the addendum.
While Dr Nikhade refused to comment, dean of Datta Meghe Medical College and Shalinitai Meghe Hospital, Dr Dilip Gode, said, “We are aware that fungal infections are dangerous.
We had been taking swabs from bedsheets, floor etc and testing them.
The hospital has monthly infection control committee and its minutes are also maintained.
It was shocking to see name of Shalinitai Hospital among those not following the norms.
We approached the collector with facts and the task force admitted to its mistake.”