Updated April 9th, 2020 at 00:26 IST

Tamil Nadu hospital discharges 4 COVID-19 positive patients

In the highest act of negligence, Vizhupuram government district hospital in Tamil Nadu discharged 4 COVID-19 positive patients because of 'clerical error'.

Reported by: Sanjeevee Sadagopan
| Image:self
Advertisement

In the highest act of negligence, Vizhupuram government district hospital in Tamil Nadu discharged 4 COVID-19 positive patients as the test results had some 'clerical errors' and showed their samples testing negative for the deadly infection.

On Tuesday, April 7, the hospital discharged 26 patients after testing them negative for COVID-19 but later it was found that 4 out of the 26 people were in fact still carrying the infection. The health department and police officials were able to trace 3 locals from the district and they were taken back to the hospital immediately.

But a 32-year-old migrant worker from Delhi, Nithin Sharma, who was tested positive for COVID-19 is still missing and police have formed special teams to find him. The officials are clueless about Nitin's whereabouts as he doesn't have a local address and he was the state in search of a job.

Read: IMPORTANT: 'No time to relax lockdown', insists Mizoram CM Zoramthanga amid Covid crisis

Read: Don't hold Shab-e-Barat gatherings, stay indoors: Kargil admn to people, religious leaders

Police intensify search 

Police have already intensified vehicle searches at various checkpoints in the area and district SP Jayakumar has directly taken control of the search operation. All the trucks and other essential service vehicles are being checked by the police to find the missing positive patient.

The police have also released a few pictures of the missing person and have given a number for anyone to call immediately if they come to know anything about him. People have been asked to call on 04146 223265 to report about the missing person. However, no action has been taken against hospital authorities who were responsible for such massive negligence. The dean of the hospital, Dr. Senthil Kumar also reserved his reactions over the issue.

In a similar case of medical negligence, Chennai's Stanley Hospital authorities handed over the body of a COVID-19 positive patient to the family, even before getting the test results.

Read: Naidu urges Centre, Palaniswamy to provide relief to migrant workers stuck in Tamil Nadu

Read: Maharashtra minister Jayant Patil calls for social distancing to fight COVID-19

Advertisement

Published April 9th, 2020 at 00:26 IST