Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SD)

Bengaluru, Sep 2: Karnataka state with a total of 12,260 healthcare workers testing positive so far, of which 46 have succumbed to the virus records to be the second highest healthcare workers positive in the country only after Maharashtra.

According to Deccan Herald, the count is inclusive of doctors, nurses, lab technicians, pharmacists, allied health workers and group D staff, as per the reports of data from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). The IMCR list released on August 25 showed that 11 percent tested positive out of 1,07,100 samples of healthcare workers that were tested.

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Health care workers continue to contract the virus despite all hospitals in the state's capital equipped with Hospital Infection Control Committees (HICCs) to prevent cross-contamination.

Speaking on the issue, health commissioner Pankaj Kumar Pandey said, "Regular trainings are organized every fortnight and rapid antibody kits are being given to health care workers to check the presence of antibodies and instil confidence."

Although a large number of healthcare workers have been testing positive, the major Covid-19 dedicated hospitals in Bengaluru have not recorded any death so far. 60 staff members tested positive in Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Disease (RGICD) while 84 from K C General Hospital contracted the virus. C V Raman General Hospital reported 21 hospital staff members who tested positive for Covid, sources from Deccan Herald reported.

Director of RGICD, Dr C Nagaraj said he does not think the staff got infected from the Covid ward. "Initially our doctors had to talk to patient attenders of SARI patients whose Covid-19 status was yet to be known. Patient attendees who did not wear masks were primary contacts which risked our doctors," he said.

Medical superintendent of C V Raman Hospital, Dr HDR Radhakrishna said that 1,774 tested positive out of 12,384 samples collected. "We have done multiple PPE videos doffing to our staff. Hypochlorite solution is sprayed on them for disinfection before they remove it. They must have got infected when people came to give samples at the hospital, during the commute to and from the hospital or at home."