Meghalaya Hospital Shuts For Emergency, Out-Patients After COVID Exposure

Meghalaya's North East Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Science (NEIGHRIMS) hospital has been shut for outdoor and emergency patients after a patient tested positive for COVID-19.

A statement issued by the hospital's director, Dr P Bhattacharryya, said that the indoor patient care services will remain operational. The state health authorities have been informed about the development.

According to the statement, a resident of Border Security Force (BSF) headquarters in Umpling underwent an RT-PCR test for COVID-19 on July 1, the reports of which came in as negative. Following this, he was admitted to the non-COVID ward of the hospital. He, however, later tested positive for the virus.

"The patient, a resident of BSF, Umpling, had an RT-PCR test done on July 1 which was negative. He was subsequently admitted to the Orthopedics ward (non-COVID ward) on July 4 based on his recent report. He developed fever during his stay and on July 9, another RT-PCR was done, which was positive," it said.

The patient has now been shifted to a COVID ward.

As the patient had an extensive contact footprint in the hospital, the hospital authority has said that NEIGHRIMS now has to be decontaminated and an internal contact tracing should be done.

"This being a major exercise, the NEIGRIHMs hospital services, including OPD and emergency services will be closed till further orders," Mr Bhattacharryya said in the statement.

In the last two days, 68 personnel from the BSF have tested positive for COVID-19 in the state.

Meghalaya has reported 142 cases of coronavirus infection and two deaths so far. There are 95 active cases in the state, while 45 people have recovered from the disease and two have died.