Dimapur administration clamps preventive steps

• Orders temporary sealing of Shamrock Hospital, SBI bazaar branch, a residence at Zeliangrong village
• Sealing of ICU block at Eden Medical Centre; emergency ward and ICU at Nikos Hospital
• RT-PCR result of octogenarian patient returns positive for Covid-19; currently on life support

Our Reporter/Our Correspondent
Dimapur/Kohima, July 19 (EMN): In a flurry of late night development, the Dimapur administration on Sunday ordered the temporary sealing, with immediate effect, of Shamrock Hospital; State Bank of India (SBI) bazaar branch, SBI staff quarter Block-C in Bank Colony; a residence and nearby houses at Zeliangrong village; and sections of Nikos Hospital and Eden Medical Centre.

For Eden Medical Centre, the sealing is limited to its ICU block; at Nikos Hospital, the ICU and its emergency ward have been sealed. The residence at Zeliangrong village is House No. 15 at Ward No. 18.

The order was emailed to the local newspapers at 9.30 pm on Sunday.

The deputy commissioner’s late night orders were preceded by hours of silence from the district health officials as repeated calls made, concerning the status of the elderly person suspected to have Covid-19 infection, went unanswered. In the meantime, social media was rife with rumours and speculations.

Till late Sunday evening, even district administration officials admitted to not having a clue about any development or update about the case.

Hospital authorities were also reluctant to provide information, contending that it should come from the district heath authorities.

Eventually, an inside source confirmed at around 9 pm on Sunday that the RT-PCR result of the 82-year-old patient had returned positive.

Earlier on July 17 evening, he had tested positive for the virus during a “screening test” conducted at Eden Medical Centre. The hospital authorities had, then, decided to go for a confirmatory test.

According to the source, the patient has been shifted to Covid-19 hospital in Dimapur. He is reportedly being kept in the ICU on life support.

Also, at Eden Hospital, it was informed that some of the nurses who had come into contact with the patients have been kept in isolation within the hospital.