19 more NMCH doctors test Covid positive; JD (U) office closed after 5 more cases detected

As many as 35 more people, including 19 doctors of the Nalanda Medical College and Hospital (NMCH), tested positive for Covid-19 on Tuesday, taking the tally of infected doctors at the NMCH to 178 in the past three days, a doctor from the hospital said.

“Today, 35 people have tested positive, of which 19 are doctors. At least 27 new patients have been admitted to the hospital in the last 24 hours. The infected doctors have been asked to isolate themselves,” Dr Mukul Kumar Singh of the NMCH said.

“The remaining infected persons are from various localities of Patna and Patna City, such as Gaighat, Alamganj, and Gur Ki Mandi. All of them are either asymptomatic or have mild symptoms and are in isolation. The doctors were infected after attending a function of Indian Medical Association (IMA) a few days ago,” he said.

On Monday evening, 72 doctors of the NMCH had tested positive for Covid-19, Dr Binod Kumar Singh, Medical Superintendent of NMCH, had said.

Meanwhile, a day after 11 people tested positive for Covid-19 at chief minister Nitish Kumar’s Janata Darbar on Monday, the JD (U) office was closed on Tuesday after five more positive cases were detected among the office employees. JD (U) national president Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh on Tuesday informed through a tweet that has also tested positive for Covid-19.

Following the sudden surge in Covid-19 cases in the state, the health department on Tuesday cancelled the leaves of doctors till February 28, 2022.