Wockhardt Hospital in central Mumbai was on Monday sealed by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation after several nurses and three doctors tested positive for the novel coronavirus in a week.
Forty six nurses had tested positive for Covid-19, the United Nurses Association’s Maharashtra chapter told HuffPost India.
According to the Hindustan Times, BMC has said no one will be allowed to enter or exit the hospital till all coronavirus patients test negative twice.
“It is unfortunate that such big clusters of cases have come from a medical facility. They should have taken precautions,” Additional municipal commissioner Suresh Kakani told Times of India.
According to the report, 270 staff and a few patients at the hospital have been tested for Covid-19.
“Our OPD and emergency services are shut and there will be no admissions,” a hospital spokesperson told the Times.
HT reports that the infections at the hospital spread after two nurses working in the same general ICU ward tested positive for Covid-19 on March 28.
On March 27, the United Nurses Association (UNA) had raised their concerns in a letter to BMC and Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray. “We were informed by the nurses that when a patient tested positive, those who had come in contact with that person were not immediately quarantined and tested. The testing exercise began later on BMC’s intervention,” said UNA’s Maharashtra president Jibin TC, according to Indian Express.
UNA said the nurses had not been provided enough Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) and were not tested or taken off their shifts till they began showing symptoms. The hospital has denied these charges.
“The hospital has not given nurses access to their own test reports. Many who were in quarantine in hostel or other wards have been moved to the Covid ward. Some who were caring for the quarantined nurses have been admitted to the Covid ward,” a letter by the Jan Swasthya Abhiyan and UNA said.