After staff members contract COVID-19, Wockhardt Hospital issues statement; Read here

After reports emerged of 26 nurses and three doctors testing positive for COVID-19 at the Wockhardt Hospital in Mumbai, the hospital administration issued a statement on Monday. The authorities have banned the entry and exit from the hospital unless all patients test negative twice consecutively. Moreover, it has been declared as a 'containment zone'.

As per the statement, the cardiac patient who spread the virus was admitted on March 17. However, he showed COVID-19 symptoms only on March 26 after which he was moved into the segregated COVID-19 zone of the hospital. At the same time, it admitted that the hospital staff was "unknowingly" exposed to the aforesaid patient for many days. The Wockhardt statement added that this was the first positive COVID-19 case in the hospital. It added that it was following Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's protocol while treating its staff. 

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Read the full statement here: 

"It is the hard truth that healthcare professionals all over the world on the front line are at the highest risk of contracting COVID-19 infection whilst treating patients. We had a cardiac patient who came in on the 17th of March. He underwent several procedures, had no fever or any other respiratory symptoms until the 26th when he developed a cough. He was then moved into the segregated Covid zone of the hospital, (with dedicated staff and completed PPE) - and tested positive. Prior to this patient, the hospital had not been exposed to a single Covid patient. It is unfortunate that the facility and its staff was unknowingly exposed for several days. We are treating all our staff, isolating those in contact, and sanitising the facility in line with BMC. We care deeply for our patients and our people. Wockhardt Hospitals is a JCI (U.S.A) accredited hospital & adheres to international protocols of quality and clinical practise."

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COVID-19 crisis

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a complete lockdown in the country until April 14 to tackle the challenge posed by the COVID-19 crisis. Currently, there are 4067 confirmed novel coronavirus cases in India out of which 292 people have recovered while 109 individuals have lost their lives. Earlier in the day, Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh revealed that 49,708 individuals had been quarantined in the state.

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