GMCH Superintendent, 386 others quarantined after doctor tests COVID-19 positive

Guwahati: After a doctor of the Guwahati Medical College and Hospital tested positive, Assam government has quarantined the Superintendent, several doctors, members of the nursing staff and class III and IV staff.

A total of 386 people of GMCH, northeast region's premier medical institute has been quarantined with effect from Thursday night as soon as the reports of Dr Likhitesh DS, a post graduate student of GMCH came in.

The government is now planning to test the swabs of 1500 people from GMCH.

Briefing media on the lasted on COVID-19, state health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said, "We will test the swabs of the 700 patients and all the doctors, nursing staff, attendants of GMCH. So we have to test around 1500 swabs. If we have to do this in our labs in Assam, it will take about 4-5 days for the results to come. We are in talks with private labs in Delhi. If we can do these tests in labs of Delhi or Kolkata, then we might get the results within two days."

Around 1032 people have already entered Assam and the labs of the state are testing swabs of each of these people, Sarma said.

Hostels No 1 and No 5 of GMCH has been declared as quarantine zones.

The staff residential colony of Dr B Barooah Cancer Institute too has been declared quarantine zone as Deepika Nath, the 16-year old girl who died and was found COVID-19 positive was living in the colony with her grandmother.

Sarma has that contact tracing in each of the cases is underway and necessary steps are being taken.

The minister clarified that the cancer institute has not been declared as a quarantine zone.

The minister asked people not to panic but strictly adhere to the social distancing and hygiene norms and refrain from making a mockery of the lockdown.

He urged parents not to bring their children (particularly those below 5 years) out on the streets and requested every citizen to perform their duties as a responsible citizen.

"I have myself seen parents with their children of less than five years, on the streets of Guwahati," the minister said.

Giving the number of people who have come in from Sreerampur and Dhubri side so far, Sarma said around 970 people have come in from Sreerampur and 53 have entered from Dhubri side in the past three days.

He once again requested people living outside the state to stay where there and not risk their as well as others' lives at this critical juncture.

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