No one knows how virus entered IPM in Narayanguda, 3 tested COVID +Ve

Hyderabad : The project director of blood distribution unit, Institute of Preventive Measures (IPM), Narayanguda, tested positive for Covid-19 on June 2. The virus spread to 2 more staffers serving in the technical wing, resulting in sealing of the unit.

While 30 people working on the IPM premises were placed under home quarantine, mystery shrouds over source of the virus, as the trio were exposed to many ‘blood donors’ and hospital staff. All the three are among the 1,771 active cases reported in Telangana and are undergoing treatment.

Speaking to NewsMeter, a Covid-19 patient from Vanasthalipuram explained, “ The job of the project director is to keep track of blood requirement across government hospitals in Telangana. Besides collecting blood via the donation unit at IPM, the institute conducts regular camps.”

He further added, “The project director was running high temperature for the last 3 days before he was tested positive for Covid-19 . He popped in a Dolo tablet and continued to work. He supplied blood at Gandhi Hospital, Osmania General, MNJ, King Koti, Government Hospital at Sultan Bazar, Petlaburj. Since the temperatures continued to rise, he underwent the Covid-19 test at King Koti. The source of the virus is still unknown."

Following his medical reports, other staffers working in the same unit were tested and two tested positive. “I was suffering from fever and mild headace. I continued to work in the technical unit of the blood distribution. My job involved interacting with donors, checking their temperature and case sheet. IPM has been conducting donation camps over the past two months. It is still unknown if I was infected by the project director since he was the first case or from the patients,” the patient told NewsMeter .

IPM’s two contract staffers have been admitted to an isolation ward at Erragadda, Hyderbad. Complaining of the poor facilities, the Covid-19 patients said, “The doctors are willing to send us home but do not ensure treatment. They are insisting that we purchase our own medicines and how is that possible. In this ward, doctors are not regularly visiting us unless we demand for it. There are less number of PPE kits and there is no ICU. In case a patient’s condition turns serious, they are being rushed to Gandhi Hospital,” the patients said.

Another worry is no tests are being done to the immediate family of Covid-19 patients, unless they complain of symptoms, they added.