Defer routine check-ups by two months, Jayadeva urges people

The Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, the premier state-run hospital for heart diseases in Bengaluru, has asked patients from other parts of Karnataka to defer visits for at least two months unless there faced an emergency.

Hospital director Dr C N Manjunath issued an appeal in this regard after a 28-year-old doctor tested positive for Covid-19 two days ago. The doctor had attended to both inpatients and outpatients. Sources said he had recovered and his retest came back negative.

Following the relaxation in inter-district travel, the hospital has been seeing 600-700 patients every day for routine check-ups, follow-ups and master health check-ups.

While the hospital has put in every measure stipulated by the health department, it's now going a further step further to keep its staff and other patients safe.

Dr Manjunath said: "Unless there is an emergency, we request the public not to come to the hospital. People from central and North Karnataka are arriving for routine check-ups. I agree that the treatment cost at the institute is affordable, but this is not the time."

The hospital does have a separate unit to test people having breathing difficulties and related ailments. "Still, we appeal to the people to avoid unnecessary visits to the hospital," Dr Manjunath said.