Several senior doctors, including the heads of several core departments, have now gone into forced self-isolation

Patient-care activities at Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST) is on the verge of a shutdown after several senior doctors and an unknown number of health-care personnel and patients were exposed to the SARS CoV-2 from a doctor colleague of theirs who had returned from Spain and had been working amongst them.

The said case had been officially declared as positive for COVID-19 by the Health Minister on Sunday evening, without divulging details.

Several senior doctors, including the heads of several core departments, have now gone into forced self-isolation and have been left with no option but to abandon patient care, so that more people are not exposed to the COVID-19 threat. They have written to the Director of the institution to discharge patients waiting for surgery and other treatments and to take in only dire emergencies.

According to the information conveyed to the SCTIMST staff in an internal communication, the said doctor, who handles interventional procedures, had returned from Spain on March 1.

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He was asymptomatic and worked in the Digital Substraction Angiography lab from March 2 to 5. SCTIMST claims that he did not have any patient contact on March 6 and 7

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On March 8, he developed sore throat and is said to have reported the travel history to the Superintendent.

On March 9, he discussed his travel history to the State officials, yet he was not advised home quarantine. He attended outpatient clinic on March 10 and 11.

On March 12, he went on home quarantine and on March 13, he reported to the corona care clinic at the Government Medical College Hospital. He was isolated on March 14 and his sample was confirmed positive on Sunday.