St John Vianney Hospital locked down after 10 staff members test Covid-19 positive
All other staff members who were not infected with the virus were sent to self-quarantine
St John Vianney Hospital in Tejgaon area of the capital has been put on lockdown as a number of medical staff members, including doctors, tested positive for Covid-19.
The hospital went into lockdown on April 29.
All other staff members who were not infected with the virus were sent to self-quarantine.
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"On April 24, four of our staff, including two doctors, tested positive for Covid-19. Then as per order, each of the sixty staff members has been tested," Akhila D Rozario, a director of the hospital, said.
"Through the test, six more staff members came out positive," said Rozario, adding, "Then the authority decided to lock down the hospital temporarily which came into effect on April 29."
Following that, the hospital was set as isolation centre for the infected personnel, he continued.
"On May 2, the infected staff members were tested for the second time and four staff members were tested negative then. They were sent home.
"Again, on May 8, the Covid-19 positive patients will be tested and if they are found negative, they will also be allowed to go home."
Rozario said, "Initially, we close all the services of the hospital till May 8. A meeting will be held on May 9 where the authority will decide about the reopening of services."
He hinted that reopening of services depended on the test report of the infected six staff members.
Asked about the infection, he said, "We treated some patients with symptoms who afterwards tested positive."
"Our staff might be exposed from them," he added.
"We were cautious of the virus since the beginning of the pandemic. We sprayed bleaching water often, offered sanitiser for patients and attendants. We had also arranged adequate personal protective equipment for all the staff members then."
Asked about a report that said around 22 staff members of the hospital were affected by coronavirus, he said, "Information provided in the report was totally wrong."
Father Kamal Corraya, executive director of the hospital, could not be reached over phone for his comments.
St John Vianney Hospital started operation last November. It is an initiative of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Bangladesh and is funded by Dhaka Archdiocese.
