Nine house doctors at Mount St. John Medical Centre (MSJMC) have tested positive for the coronavirus and are out of rotation, sources close to the institution have revealed.
Four of the affected physicians are reported to be warded at the Infectious Diseases Centre, with one receiving oxygen therapy, and five are said to be recovering in isolation.
This situation is putting a strain on their colleagues, since the COVID ward and even the Paediatrics Department are affected by their absence.
Once a person has been exposed to the virus, protocols dictate that the he or she must be quarantined for a period of 14 days to determine whether there is spread, the source says.
However, with so many doctors out of commission, pressure is being put on the professionals in quarantine to shorten their observation period and return to work after seven days, the source claims.
This is the situation regarding a recent incident in which a COVID-positive patient – a pregnant woman – was allowed to come into contact with as many as eight healthcare workers in error.
The source warns that if the caregivers continue to be affected this way, it will have serious implications for the population.
“The authorities have not gotten a handle on this thing, yet,” the source tells our News Room. “And the public needs to be made aware of the situation, because it’s not going to get better in a hurry.”
