Breach Candy isolates 11 after operation by infected cardiac doctor

Saifee Hospital continues to remain closed for new admissions. Pic/Bipin Kokate

Days after several patients and staff members at Saifee Hospital were quarantined, it has come to light that the 53-year-old cardiac surgeon who tested positive last week, operated on a patient at Breach Candy Hospital. As such, 11 people, including the patient, have been quarantined.

The cardiac surgeon's 85-year-old father, tested positive days after the surgeon's 20-year-old son returned from UK, and died on March 26. The son and the father are currently admitted at Hinduja Hospital. "We had quarantined around 40 people, including eight patients at Saifee Hospital. Of those, 34 tested negative," said a civic official. Results of the rest are awaited.

The 53-year-old surgeon is a consulting doctor with the H N Reliance Hospital, Breach Candy Hospital and Jaslok Hospital. Civic officials said that he only had patients at Breach Candy. "He had operated on a 55-year-old patient on March 23 and had been in contact with 10 other staff members. We have quarantined them at the hospital," said the civic official.

Civic officials had shut down Saifee's operation theatres, part of the ICU and the OPD. The hospital will remain closed for new admissions for the mandatory quarantine period of 14 days.

Breach Candy Hospital's spokesperson said they have closed and disinfected the catheterisation laboratory. "People have been home quarantined. Those who could not do so have been given place in the hospital. The patient had already been discharged and we are following up with her. She is stable. Her relative is being tested," the spokesperson said.

Civic officials said that Breach Candy disinfects operation theatres after every procedure as part of their protocol, so there was no need to shut down the Operation Theatre. "We have traced the person who assisted the cardiac surgeon during the procedure and have sent his samples for testing as well," a civic official said.

Jaslok Nurse tests positive
At Jaslok Hospital, a 25-year-old nurse tested positive for Coronavirus. Around 10 to 15 people have been quarantined. Sources from Jaslok Hospital said that around 150 people, including staff members and patients, are being tested.

"The nurse was from the dialysis unit. Until the test results come, the hospital is planning to not to take any new admissions unless it is an emergency," said the source.

Despite several attempts, mid-day couldn't get a statement from Dr Om Srivastava, the head of Jaslok's Infectious Diseases department.

The hospital, in a statement, said that a patient admitted for a different illness, with no international travel history and asymptomatic, developed symptoms later.
He has been shifted to the isolation ward while all his contacts are being tested.

25yrs
Age of the nurse at Jaslok Hospital who tested positive

150
No. of people being tested by Jaslok Hospital

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