It's not quarantine, but regular rotation duty: Telangana Health Ministry

Hyderabad: Niloufer hospital for women and children was in the news for wrong reasons on Sunday. Initially, an order was given by hospital superintendent asking staff, including doctors to go on quarantine.

However, a few hours later the Health Minister's office issued another statement from the superintendent in which it was explained that quarantine for health staff was part of regular roster and rotational duties.

Initially, it was felt that professors, associate professors, assistant professors, PG students, house surgeons, nursing staff, paramedical staff and class IV employees, including sanitation and security employees who worked in Emergency ward duties on April 15 and in all three shifts on April 16 and 17 were told to go on quarantine immediately.

The reason being confirmation of Covid-19 positive for a two-month-old boy from Narayanpet district who was undergoing treatment at Niloufer.

A hospital in Mahbubnagar referred the kid with breathing problem to Niloufer hospital where he was being treated from April 15 before testing positive two days ago.

After this news went viral that majority staff from Niloufer were told to go on quarantine, the Health Minister's office intervened.

A press statement issued by the Minister's office on behalf of Niloufer Superintendent Dr Muralikrishna explained that medical staff at Niloufer are being told to be on home quarantine after working for six to ten days as per government orders.

He said that those working on emergency duties are being given N 95 masks and PPE kits.

It may be mentioned here that nearly 20 doctors, including junior doctors went into quarantine after a three-year old boy from Nampally tested positive on March 30.

The doctors and nursing staff had their concerns as they got exposed to the boy during treatment.

The hospital administration had asked staff who had concerns to undergo sample tests and luckily all of them came out negative.