Rawalpindi-Benazir Bhutto Hospital (BBH) has allegedly become the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak as COVID-19 suspects and confirmed patients are being treated in general wards that too without adopting SOPs of government.
Due to this negligence of management, as many as 16 doctors and nurses have been isolated after contactwith two COVID-19 positive patients - one of them died on Saturday night.
The deceased was identified as Anees, 38, resident of Sargodha, while the other COVID-19 positive patient is Javed, resident of Rawalpindi. Earlier, six nurses of Peads ICU were also quarantined by the management after coming in contact with a girl Anaya - a coronavirus positive patient - admitted in ICU. However, the ICU has not been sealed so far, they said.
The management, however, hid the death of the patient and the heirs took the dead body of Anees to Sargodha for burial in a private vehicle for burial, something that can affect many others.
Almost 65 deaths have occurred so far in the district due to novel coronavirus.
According to details, a patient namely Anees was brought to BBH from Sargodha by his family with visible symptoms of coronavirus and the doctors admitted him in Intensive Care Unit (ICU) instead of shifting to High Dependency Unit (HID) for cure. As many as three doctors and 10 nurses attended the patient in different shifts that too without wearing Personal Protective Equipment.
They said in the meanwhile, the samples of the patient was taken and sent for COVID-19test.
The patient died on Saturday night and the dead body was shifted to Sargodha by the family without adopting SOPs of Punjab government.
The result of Anees came back positive for coronavirus while shocking the doctors and other high ups. They management is making mind to have the three doctors and 10 nurses tested for coronavirus.
Another coronavirus patient namely Javed was admitted in ENT Department. Patient was sent home on leave after neck surgery whereas his result came back COVID-19positive.
The three nurses who attended the patient were also isolated by the management. The isolated nurses have been identified as Ruqiya, Madiha and Ayesha Ilyas.
DrInayat, the focal person on COVID-19in BBH, however, when contacted, said the management is performing duty with dedication and commitment and fighting with coronavirus round the clock. He said results of deceased Anees are being awaited by the doctors. He said Javed tested coronavirus positive and three nurses were isolated.
He, nonetheless, denied the fact that doctors or nurses are showing negligence during duty. He told Javed and Anees landed in Surgery Department and were later referred to him with requests of screening.
“We screened both patients, took their samples and sent for serology in laboratories,” he said.
On a query, he said all the doctors and staffers are attending patients in hospital as per SOPs of government.
Meanwhile, the management of Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB) has directed some 26 employees to go to home quarantine as they were found in contact with their colleague Waqas of Sector 4, Tax Branch, a coronavirus positive patient.