17 healthcare workers at Noonu Atoll Hospital in isolation

Authorities on Sunday revealed that some healthcare workers in at Noonu Atoll Hospital in Manadhoo island are in isolation after having come into contact with a woman that has tested positive for Covid-19.

The 83-year-old woman was tested after being brought to the capital. While she had consulted at the Noonu Atoll Hospital in Manadhoo with stomach pains, she was transferred to Indhira Gandhi Memorial Hospital where they decided to test her for Covid-19 as she had a fever. Her test results came back positive on Friday, and by then the nurse that travelled with her to the capital had returned to Manadhoo.

At Sunday’s National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC)’s press conference, spokesperson Mohamed Mabrook Aziz had said that 15 healthcare workers are in isolation.

Speaking to RaajjeMV further on the matter, Noonu Atoll Hospital’s manager Ismail Shafeeg stated that a total of 17 staff members at the hospital are in isolation currently.

He noted that these include three doctors, two x-ray technicians and attendants as well as 10 nurses.

Furthermore, the hospital’s manager revealed that samples of four close contacts of the woman have been taken for testing.

While a number of workers at the Noonu Atoll Hospital are in isolation, Shafeeg said that the hospital’s service hours has been reduced to eight due to this, from 24; from 8am to 2pm. There are officials on-call during the remaining hours.

Further noting that the hospital had faced a shortage of staff especially nurses, the manager said that healthcare workers from other areas have arrived on the island to provide assistance. Hence, with the arrival of two nurses from Lhaviyani atoll, the hospital is currently operating with seven nurses.

Shafeeg said that the hospital will continue services “without any interruptions”.

Manadhoo island was placed under monitoring after the woman tested positive for coronavirus.