Doctors contract Covid-19 in several Delhi hospitals

The 20 doctors include two faculty members. The rest are resident doctors

As the number of new Covid-19 cases crossed the 8,500 mark in Delhi on Friday, doctors in several big hospitals were found positive for Covid-19, putting further stress on the health care system in the national capital.

At the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, 20 doctors and six medical students tested positive in the last 10 days. Out of the 20 doctors, two are faculty members while the rest are resident doctors. There are more than 3,000 doctors, including resident doctors at the AIIMS in New Delhi.

The virus has also struck Sir Ganga Ram Hospital where 37 doctors tested positive. "Serving Covid patients at the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, 37 doctors of the hospital have tested positive for Covid-19. While 32 are in home isolation and the rest have been admitted in the hospital," said a hospital source.

In Delhi government’s Maulana Azad Medical College, nearly 200 students were exposed to a Covid-19 patient. While it's not known how many of such students developed the infections, the hospital issued a gag order preventing the doctors and staff from talking to the press.

Delhi on Friday reported 8,521 new Covid-19 positive cases with 39 deaths and a positivity rate of nearly 8 per cent. Nearly half of 9,000 plus Covid beds of Delhi are occupied.