After a doctor tested coronavirus positive, 30 of hiscolleagues at the Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences andTechnology (SCTIMST) here, have now been kept in isolation under medicalobservation.
The doctor, who had returned from Spain on March 1, testedpositive on Sunday at the SCTIMST.
The doctor had reported for duty from March 2 onwards,complaining of sore throat on March 8. He wore a mask while attending to hisduties, including seeing patients on March 10 and 11.
On March 12, he was directed to be kept in isolation afterSpain got included in the list of nations affected by Covid-19.
On March 14, he was made to undergo a repeat test forcoronavirus, which came out positive on Sunday.
With these many professionals not available for duty, normalservices at the premier institute are likely to be affected, even though theauthorities are trying to ensure that the hospital functioning is smooth.
Another cause of concern in the whole matter is that UnionMinister of State for External Affairs, V. Muraleedharan, had held a meetingwith departmental heads last week during which a few of these doctors keptunder observation had participated.
SCTIMST is an institution of national importance under the centralgovernment’s Department of Science and Technology and offers expert treatment,especially in cardiology and neurology.