Our Correspondent
Kohima, March 28 (EMN): The managing director of Naga Hospital Authority Kohima (NHAK), Dr. Thorusie Katiry, on Saturday rubbished rumours of suspected positive novel coronavirus (Covid-19) patients in Kohima.
Lately, rumourmongers have been spreading false reports of persons with positive Covid-19 cases being kept isolated at NHAK.
Speaking to Eastern Mirror on Saturday, Katiry dismissed it as fake and appealed to the people to rely on authentic reports from reliable sources. He asked them to get verification from the NHAK any time, in cases involving such doubtful reports.
He said that one person, with a history of travelling to one of the affected places, was admitted at the hospital; and his samples sent for testing.
“The result came yesterday (Friday), which was negative,” said Katiry.
The managing director asserted that till date, the patients coming to NHAK for coronavirus-related cases and getting their blood tested, have been “very co-operative” and that “there is no history of anyone making any attempt to escape or run away from the hospital”.
He also informed that many people are also coming forward to get themselves tested at NHAK following complaints of fever.
Katiry informed that some patients have been “kept in quarantine” at designated location while the results for their samples are awaited.
Almost daily, NHAK is conducting briefing on Covid-19 among the medical officers, nurses and other health workers for preparedness. “Every day is a day of trial and error. We have never faced this kind of situation before. This is the first time we are facing,” he stated referring to the unprecedented outbreak of the deadly virus.
There is a contingency plan under “logistic ground” of converting NHAK along with Dimapur District Hospital into Covid-19 hospitals in the event of the designated Covid-19 hospital in Chedema running out of beds for patients, he added.
At present, NHAK has 42 doctors and 86 nurses.
No new patients at NHAK
In an order issued on Saturday, the department of Health and Family Welfare stated that no new patients will be admitted at the NHAK until further notice, in order to prepare it as a Covid-19 hospital.
‘Existing in-patients’, provided they can be safely moved, will be shifted to Putounuo Nursing Home, Oking Hospital, Bethel Medical Centre and KP Bethesda Hospital, it stated.
New patients seeking emergency healthcare will also be diverted to those four hospitals.
“The treating hospital will be empanelled under AB-PMJAY, if not already empanelled,” it stated.
