Saturday was eventful for the two largest government hospitals of the capital, RIMS and Sadar Hospital.

While the maternity wing of Sadar Hospital, which shut on April 18 after a novel coronavirus infection surfaced, started working from Saturday, the medical and paramedical team at the RIMS gynaecology and maternity wing demanded a lockdown and its staff were quarantined for coronavirus tests after a woman who delivered a baby there recently tested positive on Friday night.

The Sadar Hospital maternity wing started around noon and one woman was admitted for delivery, Ranchi district civil surgeon Dr Vijay Bihari Prasad said. “Help of RIMS has been sought to smoothly run the maternity ward. However, we have opened the ward with the existing medical and paramedical staff here,” Dr Prasad said.

Earlier in the day, medical and paramedical staff were reluctant to join work without proper personal protective kits and novel coronavirus test of every woman who is admitted for delivery.

Doctors were heard grumbling that women from hotspots were brought for delivery without coronavirus tests and they had to be attended to by staff without PPE.

Asked how this reluctance could ensure proper service, Dr Prasad said: “Fear of infection is natural (among healthcare staff) in such a situation, but I have made them understand they must do their duty.”

A 24-year-old woman from Hindpiri who delivered a baby at Sadar Hospital on April 15 and stayed there till April 16, tested positive on April 17 after her discharge, following which doctors and nurses who came in contact with her were quarantined and the maternity wing was closed on April 18.

At RIMS, a woman who delivered a baby on April 22 tested positive for Covid-19 on April 23, and another who gave birth on April 20 tested positive on Friday night.

Head of obstetrics and gynaecology department of RIMS Dr Anubha Vidyarthi said both the women had not disclosed they were from Hindpiri, a Covid-19 containment area in Ranchi, and said they came from Kantatoli in Ranchi and Ramgarh district, respectively.

The doctors wrote to RIMS director Dr D.K. Singh demanding action against the women for hiding information that caused a big risk of infection among other women admitted there.

Dr Vidyarthi appealed to pregnant women to disclose their addresses correctly to protect themselves, other fellow patients, doctors and healthcare staff.

“Women who are pregnant for 36 weeks and above, and have cause to believe they have been exposed to a Covid-19 patient or stay in a Covid-19 containment zone, should go for screening at the Gurunanak School and Sadar Hospital,” she said.

Asked about the deputation of doctors at the Sadar Hospital maternity ward, Dr Vidyarthi said: “It cannot be possible as our doctors have been exposed to Covid-19 and need to be tested in quarantine.”

RIMS director Dr D.K. Singh and medical superintendent Dr Vivek Kashyap could not be available for their comments despite several calls on Saturday after 4pm.