Union Minister among those who visited Kerala hospital where doctor tested coronavirus positive

V Muraleedharan was among those who recently visited the hospital where a doctor has been tested COVID-19 positive

Minister of state for External Affairs V Muraleedharan was among those who recently visited the Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology in Thiruvananthapuram where a doctor has been tested COVID-19 positive.

According to the hospital sources, even as around 25 persons including some doctors, nurses and paramedical staff at the hospital were kept under isolation after a doctor was tested COVID-19 positive, the Union Minister never came in contact with either the doctor found infected or any other in isolation and hence, there was no risk for him.

Muraleedharan had turned up at the hospital on Saturday for an official meeting. Though a senior official of the hospital who visited Spain last month was also present at the meeting, that doctor was already found to be not infected. Hence, there was no risk for the minister, said a hospital source.

A doctor of the radiology department, who returned from Spain on March 1, was tested positive on Sunday. This triggered a scare that many patients could have contracted the virus from him.

But hospital authorities maintained that the doctor joined duty only on March 10 after coronavirus screening and isolation were done. He only dealt with two patients. He was asked to go on a leave on the next day after Spain was also included in the high risk category. The doctor had fever only on March 13.