Mumtaz Alam | India Tomorrow
NEW DELHI, APRIL 20— Debunking rumors afloat on social media, the authorities of Al Shifa Multispecialty Hospital in Delhi’s Jamia Nagar area have told India Tomorrow that there is no confirmed case of Coronavirus at the hospital yet. They said that there was one suspected case related to a doctor and the government authorities have taken him to a quarantine centre.
They also trashed the social media posts that Al Shifa has been sealed. They said that emergency services are open at the hospital but normal OPD services have been reduced due to unavailability of some doctors and staff.
Talking about the suspected case of a doctor, M. Abdul Nazar, Director, Al Shifa Multispecialty Hospital, said: “It is not a confirmed case yet. It is a suspected case. The authorities have not issued the test results to us or to the doctor. The nodal officer has taken him for quarantine.”
Trashing social media posts about sealing of the hospital, Nazar said: “We are looking the patients. It is just rumor that Al Shifa has been closed. Emergency services are on. Some doctors and staffers are not able to reach the hospital, so we have controlled the normal OPD.”
Rafeek Ahmed, Joint Secretary cum Liaison Officer of the hospital, also said: “That is a suspected case. The hospital has not been sealed or closed. This is just rumor. We have not got any directives from the authorities either.”
Last week, Al Shifa authorities themselves sent a doctor and his team to home quarantine when they came to know that they were exposed to a patient who was later found to be Coronavirus +ve.
“We ourselves sent one doctor and his team to home quarantine as we came to know that they were exposed to a patient who was later found to be coronavirus positive,” said Ahmed.
Meanwhile, Al Shifa hospital has posted a banner notice on its website that physical OPDs have been closed in view of Coronavirus pandemic and in its place telephonic OPD consultation has been started.
“Management has decided to close normal OPDs to curb COVID-19 infection. Emergency department & Emergency services will continue 24X7. Temporary arrangement has been made available for telephonic OPD consultation for General Medicine, Pediatrics, OBS & Gynae and General Surgery,” reads the notice.
Meanwhile, the total number of Coronavirus cases crossed 2000 mark in Delhi on Sunday. The day saw 110 new cases in the city. Of the total 2003 cases, 1668 are active cases while 290 have recovered and 45 have died. There were 14175 active cases in the country on April 19.
