Meghalaya: OPD & Emergency Services in NEIGRIHMS Suspended

The hospital services including the OPD and emergency services in the North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS) in Meghalaya will remain suspended till further orders. The decision has been taken after one patient, a resident of BSF headquarters, Umpling tested positive for COVID-19.

According to a statement issued by the Director of NEIGRIHMS, Dr. P Bhattacharyya said that the indoor patient care services will remain operational.

Meanwhile, the state health authorities have been informed about the development.

The statement issued by the hospital said that there has been an inadvertent exposure to COVID-19 in the NEIGRIHMS.

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

The patient has now been shifted to the COVID ward.

As the patient has had an extensive contact footprint in the hospital, the NEIGRIHMS authority said that the hospital now has to be decontaminated and internal contact tracing is to be undertaken.

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

Meghalaya's COVID-19 cases rose to 142 after 41 new cases have been reported including 38 BSF personnel and three returnees from Bihar and Delhi who have tested positive of the virus.

A total of  65 BSF personnel have tested positive in Meghalaya till date taking the number of active positive cases to 95.