Tertiary hospitals in Bengaluru hit hard by COVID-19

With COVID-19 cases being reported from all government tertiary hospitals in the past week, cancer patients, heart patients and those with mental health issues visiting these hospitals would have to be cautious.

Kidwai hospital saw two of its cancer patients testing positive, one of them a fresh case from Friday, Jayadeva hospital had three heart patients testing positive, with two of them dying, while seven staffers at National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (Nimhans) tested positive after being infected by a mentally ill patient.

On Friday, a 30-year-old woman who has thyroid cancer tested positive at Kidwai. She had visited the hospital on Wednesday for investigations. Since the hospital tests all its new patients for COVID-19 because of their immunocompromised status, she too was tested and turned out to be positive.

One data entry operator, and two women -- a general duty doctor and a postgraduate surgical oncology student at the hospital -- have been home quarantined. If they test negative on the fifth day, they will be allowed to report back to work. The OPD and entrance where she was seen have been fumigated.

On Thursday, a 29-year-old woman who had duodenum cancer tested positive. She was to undergo a major surgery. “Seven doctors and seven nurses have been sent for home quarantine. The six patients of her ward have been shifted to another ward. The ward will be shut for two days,” said Dr C Ramachandra, Director of Kidwai.

Jayadeva has tested 275 samples of its patients and staff and three have tested positive. Last Saturday, a 54-year-old man with heart problems and diabetes was brought to the hospital. He tested positive and was shifted to Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases where he passed away.

On Monday, a 64-year-old man with longstanding heart disease had a massive cardiac arrest and also tested positive. He was in the hospital for a day and the patients on either side of his bed were shifted and the room disinfected.

Last Friday, a 74-year-old woman with three-vessel heart disease died and later tested positive. Five doctors, six nurses and two ward helpers were home quarantined. Dr C N Manjunath, director, Jayadeva, said, “Our doctors, nurses and ward helpers wear masks and face shields. There is a fear psychosis but we cannot stop working. We test all our patients and staff in our TrueNat lab itself, on the fifth day of exposure.”