The Hindu : Hospital staff quarantined in Pune

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, May 01, 2003

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Hospital staff quarantined in Pune

By Our Special Correspondent

MUMBAI April 30. Nine hospital staff members in Pune who came into contact with Maharashtra's first SARS patient, Stanley D'Silva, have tested positive, it was announced here today.

The D'Silvas — two of whom came in from Indonesia — themselves have now been discharged from quarantine, "having recovered.'' A second confirmatory test outcome is awaited.

The nine — two doctors and seven para medical staff — "however did not show any abnormal symptoms.

They were either in quarantine at the hospital or confined to their homes.''

This, sources concede, points to "the possible initial inability to cope with the needs of barrier-nursing.''

Those who have tested positive are among the 36 staff members at the private hospital and have been under surveillance since the first instance of SARS. Mr. D'Silva's mother and sister as well as the taxi driver who had ferried them from near here to Pune were also infected.

This updating came moments after the Maharashtra Chief Minister, Sushilkumar Shinde, said the State had "only 13 suspects and only six were confirmed so far.''

The Health Minister, Digvijay Khanvilkar, as well as the Director-General of Public Health, Subhash Salunkhe, have rushed to Pune for an "on the spot'' evaluation.

Following an outcry from people living near houses of SARS-affected people about their own vulnerability, Mr. Salunkhe had announced three days ago that "Pune was SARS free.''

Now the Government has opted to keep the identity of the victims under wraps and no names are being released.

The location of the patient, the place of quarantine and the possible point of origin alone are being indicated.

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