Big scare at SKIMS: Patient admitted for a month tests positive

12 doctors among 40 quarantined

Zehru Nissa

A patient admitted at SKIMS for treatment of a gastroenterological ailment tested positive for COVID19 on Tuesday, forcing hospital administration to send at least 40 healthcare staff into quarantine, 12 among them doctors.

The 40-year old woman admitted in gastroenterology ward of SKIMS “for one month” tested positive for COVID19 on Tuesday. The patient hailing from Bijbehara Anantnag is admitted for pancreatitis at the hospital, Dr Farooq Jan, medical superintendent of SKIMS said. He said the sample had been taken as routine as the patient had to undergo a surgical procedure.

Dr Jan said the patient was “critical.” “She has been quite sick all this while,” he said.

Due to the positive case of the patient admitted in a non-COVID19 ward, healthcare staff’s exposure to infection forced the hospital to initiate containment measures. Dr Jan said about 40 people who had worked in the ward were put under quarantine. “Half of these are under home quarantine while the rest are in administrative quarantine,” he said. He said at least 12 doctors are among the staff that has been quarantined.

This is the third tertiary care hospital that has landed in a crisis due to “normal patients” testing positive for COVID19. Last week, staff at Super Specialty Hospital was put under quarantine after at least five staff members tested positive. Six patients have tested positive at Bone and Joint Hospital as well.